Everything Below the Waist

"A devastating read: From mammograms to hysterectomies to miscarriages to ob-gyn’s overreliance on caesarean sections, it’s a book that weighs the real costs of people not receiving the care they deserve."—Bitch Media

"Block’s journalistic standards are impeccable. From the first sentence, she draws you in, evoking every emotion, with the book often reading more like a novel than an exposé on the complicated world of women’s medicine."—Toni Weschler, author of Taking Charge of Your Fertility and Cycle Savvy

"Nearly fifty years ago, the women’s health movement transformed the doctor/patient relationship and empowered women to listen to and believe in their bodies. In Everything Below the Waist, Jennifer Block suggests that perhaps the movement was not quite as transformative as we’d like it to have been. This is a powerful and important book that forces us to face the limitations of medical technology to truly liberate women. It’s also a great read; I couldn’t put it down. It should be required reading of anyone interested in the future of women’s health."—Wendy Kline, Professor, Dema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine Department of History, Purdue University

"Amazing. This book is full of information new to me even as a long-time activist. Block shows how what we don't know is making us sick, even if we are healthy. A challenge to feminist orthodoxy and, in some cases, feminist naivete, at its center is a critique of the use of technological fixes to solve social injustices."—Loretta Ross, cofounder of SisterSong and coauthor of Reproductive Justice

"Here, at last, is the comprehensive feminist medical examination we’ve been waiting for. Jennifer Block methodically, skillfully, and compassionately dismantles standard practices that continue to do so much harm to women. Buy one copy for yourself and a second copy for a friend, sister, aunt, mother, cousin, daughter, neighbor. Block is a national treasure, and this is her most ambitious work yet."—Elisa Albert, author of After Birth

"Attention women: your 'wellness' visits may be unnecessary and may even lead to harm. That's the disturbing fact at the center of Jennifer Block's important expose of a health-care system that is most profoundly failing female patients. Every woman needs to read this book."—Pagan Kennedy, The New York Times contributing writer and author of Inventology

"With extensive historical research and personal interviews, Block . . . demonstrates that women are more vulnerable to overtesting, overdiagnosing, overtreatment, and mistreatment than men . . . packed with important information, highly recommended for health professionals, classes in women's studies, and any woman who seeks guidance in these issues."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)