Everything You Need to Know About the Pill

by Kate Muir

An eye-opening, no-holds-barred guide to contraception, written by campaigner, journalist and documentary-maker Kate Muir

Everything You Need to Know About the Pill (but were too afraid to ask) is the thinking-woman’s guide to contraception, bringing you answers to all those questions that have been hidden behind a veneer of misplaced shame, bad science and centuries of patriarchy. 
​ What's happening to my body - and my mind? Which method of contraception is best for me? Do I really need to take a pill break every three weeks?  What about men - where's their pill?!
Muir draws on interviews with the leading medical experts in the field, interlaced with her own tumultuous journey with different types of contraception and the personal stories of women from all walks of life, sharing their varied experiences and hard-earned wisdom. Muir also questions why the current medical establishment is getting contraception so wrong, as she debunks the myths and exposes the sloppy science and hysterical headlines that have had a negative impact on women’s health for the last twenty years.

This ground-breaking guide is a social, cultural and scientific exploration into a criminally overlooked and under-discussed part of women's lives. It is a manifesto for change, calling for equality in healthcare and an entirely new - and long overdue - approach to women’s health. 
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*Praise for Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause (But Were Too Afraid to Ask):*

‘I have huge respect for Kate. A forensic journalist and menopause warrior’ - Davina McCall

‘The research Kate has done is phenomenal and so impressive. Everyone needs a copy of this book on their bookshelves!’ - Dr Louise Newson 

Genres: Nonfiction, Science

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 11, 2024

About the author

Kate Muir studied Politics at the University of Glasgow.

Reviews

[Jessica Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everybody needs to read this book whether you take birth control or not! I was so shocked at the vast amount of information I didn’t know about my own body and how women’s health is underfunded and under researched!

Why are we not taught what goes into a pill or how the implant works before we go on it at 14/15 while our bodies are still developing and growing!?

I’m glad I read this book but it has equally educated me and infuriated me

[Sara Bosch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iedereen die de pil neemt zou dit boek eens moeten lezen!

[Karolien · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I love to read about women's health, this book felt very hard to read about.
I know it's a rough subject, but I really struggled with the negative stories.
I know not all stories are wonderful, but this was a bit too intense for me.
I learned a lot and am grateful for what I learned. The opinions sometimes are quite provocative.

[Gill T · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting read with some interesting and thought provoking points.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want everyone to read this book. Learned a lot, while being constantly infuriated by the way women have been (and are) treated

[Kadri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illuminating, infuriating and interesting. There are some of the same themes covered in this book as in Hill’s How The Pill Changes Everything, but it is still a completely different perspective and book. It covers the background and history and advances in birth control, so it was fascinating.

[Gracie Chammas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can’t say I loved this book. Some chapters are thought provoking and I didn’t agree with adding chapters based on things not directly related to the content. Can’t say I recommend this book unfortunately.

[Fiona]

I don't normally write reviews for DNFs but I just wanted to state this was a DNF because of me not being able to handle some of the topics right now and not because of the book. The 10% I found well written and explained and I am looking forward to coming back to in the future.

[Gemma]

A very informative and readable book. Highly recommend.

[Niamh Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learnt lots!

[Al Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

very informative. made me very angry. eye opening.

[Milli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs to read this

[Kurt Maiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly researched, and very well written. This should be required reading in high schools for young girls and boys alike

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not just a story about contraception. It is a story of over half a century of neglect, dismissal and manipulation of women and their health.

I wish my brain was better at retaining Important Information because this book was full of it. Simultaneously illuminating and infuriating, I actually found this strangely reassuring by the end -- perhaps because of simply being better educated. The writing wasn't as dense or impenetrable as I feared, and the science was accessible, although a glossary would've been nice so I didn't have to keep googling things like "difference between progesterone progestin progestogen".

However, the writing was a little awkward in places. The word "dastardly" was used at least twice, and while I appreciate the inclusion of testimonies from numerous women sharing their own experience, some of the ones that were included made me roll my eyes. (One woman said that before going on the pill, she'd "been a very sparky blonde, in-your-face Gemini" as if the pill had somehow changed her hair colour and astrological sign, while another dramatically stated that, "I'm 50 now and never had children. The pill stole my life." like that isn't the whole point of contraception...)