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Be Period Positive: Reframe Your Thinking and Reshape the Future of Menstruation
Period positivity starts with asking questions.
This informative, irreverent and absorbing book covers all your period-related questions - why they're taboo (and needn't be) and how to navigate the whole bleeding thing, from first periods to fertility, euphemisms to uteruses, menstrual products to menopause.
Period Positive movement founder and menstrual researcher Chella Quint's answers are frank, funny and fascinating.
Let's get period positive. It's about bloody time.
Chella Quint is a designer, writer, performer and one of the UK's top experts on menstruation education. Brooklyn-born and now based in Sheffield, she is the founder of the Period Positive movement, an initiative challenging taboos and fighting period poverty, and advises governments on menstruation-inclusive policy through the Period Positive Pledge. Chella has appeared in national print media and on radio and worked with charities such as Plan UK and WaterAid. A founding member of the Menstruation Research Network and a member of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research, she is currently researching a PhD.
Dr Shehnaaz Jivraj (medical consultant) is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Jessop Wing of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, and a consultant at Yorkshire Fertility and Menopause Solutions. She holds a position as honorary senior lecturer at the University of Sheffield and has authored several papers and book chapters on the subject of female reproductive health.
This informative, irreverent and absorbing book covers all your period-related questions - why they're taboo (and needn't be) and how to navigate the whole bleeding thing, from first periods to fertility, euphemisms to uteruses, menstrual products to menopause.
Period Positive movement founder and menstrual researcher Chella Quint's answers are frank, funny and fascinating.
Let's get period positive. It's about bloody time.
Chella Quint is a designer, writer, performer and one of the UK's top experts on menstruation education. Brooklyn-born and now based in Sheffield, she is the founder of the Period Positive movement, an initiative challenging taboos and fighting period poverty, and advises governments on menstruation-inclusive policy through the Period Positive Pledge. Chella has appeared in national print media and on radio and worked with charities such as Plan UK and WaterAid. A founding member of the Menstruation Research Network and a member of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research, she is currently researching a PhD.
Dr Shehnaaz Jivraj (medical consultant) is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Jessop Wing of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, and a consultant at Yorkshire Fertility and Menopause Solutions. She holds a position as honorary senior lecturer at the University of Sheffield and has authored several papers and book chapters on the subject of female reproductive health.
- GenresNonfictionFeminismAdult
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Published July 8, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 10, 2022
This book was extremely informative, inclusive and enjoyable.
I truly appreciated that this book used inclusive language throughout and considered people of all walks of life, all decisions and experiences.
This truly was a catch-a;; guide with infographics and clear explanations and definitions. Not just discussing periods, but also menopause, options, fertility, contraception and medical conditions related to the Uterus and menstrual system.
We need more books like this! Chella Quint has de-stigmatised the stigma!
I truly appreciated that this book used inclusive language throughout and considered people of all walks of life, all decisions and experiences.
This truly was a catch-a;; guide with infographics and clear explanations and definitions. Not just discussing periods, but also menopause, options, fertility, contraception and medical conditions related to the Uterus and menstrual system.
We need more books like this! Chella Quint has de-stigmatised the stigma!
January 8, 2023
This is a very inclusive overview of all things menstruation—including birth control, fertility, and menopause. It would be a great resource for young people! It does not go in depth, but it does address very important health and wellness aspects of menstruation.
October 3, 2021
The writing style is approachable but the information goes in-depth. I wish this had been around when I was a teen! Still useful to read as an adult. The illustrations were both aesthetically pleasing and also helpful.
February 18, 2022
Very informative with plenty of visuals and infographics.
May 30, 2022
I really struggled with this book. It gets 4 stars because ultimately I think its mission is very important and I respect the work that the author clearly puts into this mission. There's also a lot of useful information and practical food for thought. HOWEVER, I do think it is 3-star quality, aside from that. I found the "yay girls, your body's so cool wowee!" attitude to be fairly childish and infantilizing (though really I think it's just very cishettie, and I'm not interested). It WAS very trans-inclusive, so I'm not saying the author was discriminator, I just didn't care for the vibe personally. A bigger issue I took with it was fairly early on, one of the "myths" that the author cited as being firmly disproved by science has not actually been proven or disproven. Furthermore, the journal article cited itself said explicitly that the concept in question (menstrual synchronicity) is still debated; and the article itself was not about proving or disproving it at all, but was rather a qualitative survey of feelings and opinions ABOUT the concept, rather than a quantitative study of it in real life.
April 24, 2024
I pre-ordered this book after discovering the #PeriodPositive movement started by Chella Quint. If you're not already familiar with it, check out their website periodpositive.com.
Period Positivity is encapsulated in The Period Positive Pledge - a menstrual literacy framework of 20 pledges that everyone, including businesses and governments, can use.
The book touches on this subject in its chapter of the same name, which takes up 46 out of its 382 pages. It's a continuation of the pledge, a more detailed description of the concept, which is I what I had expected. Period Positivity is great at destigmatising and dealing with period shame and taboos, and also at giving guidelines on how to be period supportive in different contexts (schools, workplaces, institutions, etc).
The rest of the book consists of a Q&A on various topics related to women's health - periods, their history, hormones, fertility and pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause. The knowledge imparted is neither very in-depth or broad (as someone who has dealt with a complex ovarian cyst in the past, I'm looking forward to see more information shared on that subject, as I didn't know much myself before it happened), but it does cover the majority of reproductive matters in an accessible and inclusive way, with some nicely done illustrations. I believe it's a good introductory book for anyone who's not very familiar with it, like young menstruators or people who don't menstruate. For others, it might indicate where they need to pay more attention (in my case, pregnancy and menopause, as I haven't gone through them yet).
I would love to see a more detailed Q&A (why not gather questions online) or a book aimed at non-menstruators - I think something like Be Period Supportive could be a great reference for people who don't experience periods, but are open to learning more about them and how to support people around them who do menstruate.
Period Positivity is encapsulated in The Period Positive Pledge - a menstrual literacy framework of 20 pledges that everyone, including businesses and governments, can use.
The book touches on this subject in its chapter of the same name, which takes up 46 out of its 382 pages. It's a continuation of the pledge, a more detailed description of the concept, which is I what I had expected. Period Positivity is great at destigmatising and dealing with period shame and taboos, and also at giving guidelines on how to be period supportive in different contexts (schools, workplaces, institutions, etc).
The rest of the book consists of a Q&A on various topics related to women's health - periods, their history, hormones, fertility and pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause. The knowledge imparted is neither very in-depth or broad (as someone who has dealt with a complex ovarian cyst in the past, I'm looking forward to see more information shared on that subject, as I didn't know much myself before it happened), but it does cover the majority of reproductive matters in an accessible and inclusive way, with some nicely done illustrations. I believe it's a good introductory book for anyone who's not very familiar with it, like young menstruators or people who don't menstruate. For others, it might indicate where they need to pay more attention (in my case, pregnancy and menopause, as I haven't gone through them yet).
I would love to see a more detailed Q&A (why not gather questions online) or a book aimed at non-menstruators - I think something like Be Period Supportive could be a great reference for people who don't experience periods, but are open to learning more about them and how to support people around them who do menstruate.
December 16, 2021
This is a brilliant book for people who menstruate and also those that don't. It covers the full gamut of topics that are linked to menstruation, from preparing for menarche right through to menopause, stopping at contraception, fertility, pregnancy, STDs, menstrual products and more on the way. I've seen diagrams on hormone levels throughout a "normal" cycle before, but what I hadn't seen was the charts for people on hormonal contraception, that was really interesting. It was good to see some of the things that can go wrong with our periods and genitals covered, for example PMT. PMDD, vaginismus, plus awareness of how disability or FGM might affect someone's ability to use menstrual products.
Throughout the book it encourages us all to be more open about periods, something around the half the population experiences, yet we've been brought up to believe it should be something secret and hidden. There are lots of hints and tips and encouragement to try to help people get over the fear of blood, leaks and talking about periods generally. The book is written in a very accessible way, not preachy, just informative and really useful.
I was really pleased to see the author use gender-neutral term throughout, it is important to remember it is not just cis women that menstruate.
This book is packed full of useful information. I learnt that period syncing between people who live together is a total fallacy, and how it's the follicular phase of your cycle that varies between people and affects the length of your cycle.
I highly recommend this book, even those of us who think they know a lot about periods could learn a thing or two from it.
I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to DK and NetGalley for the eARC of this book
Throughout the book it encourages us all to be more open about periods, something around the half the population experiences, yet we've been brought up to believe it should be something secret and hidden. There are lots of hints and tips and encouragement to try to help people get over the fear of blood, leaks and talking about periods generally. The book is written in a very accessible way, not preachy, just informative and really useful.
I was really pleased to see the author use gender-neutral term throughout, it is important to remember it is not just cis women that menstruate.
This book is packed full of useful information. I learnt that period syncing between people who live together is a total fallacy, and how it's the follicular phase of your cycle that varies between people and affects the length of your cycle.
I highly recommend this book, even those of us who think they know a lot about periods could learn a thing or two from it.
I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to DK and NetGalley for the eARC of this book
May 16, 2024
An inclusive, catch-all book that presents information on all things menstruation. This book explains what period positivity means and how it can be exhibited (for example, not feeling shame for staining your pants or having menstrual products available at schools and workplaces). There is information on the biological factors involving menstruation presented with colorful infographics and tables, making it easier for readers to digest. Another chapter of the book is dedicated to fertility and contraception with the final chapter covering menopause. Books regarding menstruation tend to be geared toward the preteen/teenager perspective, but this one, I felt, was written specifically for adult menstruators. If you are looking to learn more about all things menstruation, this book would be it.
February 4, 2023
Be Period Positive is an inclusive and informative guide to all things menstruation. It’s something I wish I had a long time ago, covering everything from the history and historical attitudes of menstruation to the menstrual cycle, hormones, fertility, and menopause, all while encouraging an open embrace of our menstrual cycle and removing the stigma of speaking about our periods openly. I’d happily share this with all the menstruators in my life and as someone who’s facing having full-on periods again over a decade of period-free birth control, this felt like homecoming, an orientation, and a reframing all at once.
July 27, 2025
I skimmed the parts that were most relevant to me, and overall, I found this a really informative and accessible read. It’s easy to understand, full of pictures and graphics, and gives a great overview of menstruation and the menstrual cycle.
It’s not a deep scientific dive, but that’s not what it’s trying to be. It’s a must-read for anyone who menstruates, especially if you're just starting to learn about your cycle. Even though I thought I knew a lot already, I still picked up one or two new things—so definitely worth it!
It’s not a deep scientific dive, but that’s not what it’s trying to be. It’s a must-read for anyone who menstruates, especially if you're just starting to learn about your cycle. Even though I thought I knew a lot already, I still picked up one or two new things—so definitely worth it!
December 15, 2021
Chella Quint is a period educator and one of the UK’s top experts on menstruation education. This is a breezy, taboo-busting guide for menstruators of all ages that explains what’s going on at different times of your life and how to deal with the side effects and embarrassing consequences. I would have definitely benefitted from this book as a teenager and younger woman but wish there’d been a little more on the menopause and post-menopause.
August 24, 2021
This inclusive, well-researched book makes excellent use of the conversational type of Q+A format to educate readers. It presents the perfect approach to use when trying to uplift Menstrual Literacy in our society.
I particularly enjoyed the section illustrating how different cultures may choose to celebrate when a young woman reaches this important developmental milestone.
I particularly enjoyed the section illustrating how different cultures may choose to celebrate when a young woman reaches this important developmental milestone.
September 14, 2021
So refreshing to have a resource about periods that isn't just aimed at kids! Also loved that it specifically includes all menstruating people, makes such a difference to see trans and non binary menstruators openly acknowledged!
Cannot reccommend enough :)
Cannot reccommend enough :)
January 8, 2022
An informative read for all teens and adults who want to know more about periods. Information-packed without being overwhelming, although I thought Own Your Period by the same author was outstanding for people of all ages.
June 1, 2023
Very informative and sex positive in terms of talking about female anatomy and menstruation. Is also encouraging in terms of telling AFABs like myself to free ourselves of the stigma telling us to suppress our periods and bodies as a whole.
February 17, 2022
Really great book all around and very informative! Only thing I wished it touched on is specifically oral sex during menstruation.
March 13, 2022
really great nonfiction book on periods and health - covers literally everything the public school system failed to educate us on / give it a try, super informative !
May 2, 2022
very informative.... I wish I had this book when I was in High School!
May 6, 2022
Best one on the subject I've read so far! Covers just about everything I could think of!
July 22, 2022
Excellent! Kinda like Care and Keeping of You 2.0. I’m pretty decently educated on menstrual health at this point but I gained some new and useful knowledge.
September 2, 2022
4.5 stars
May 10, 2023
An informative book that is a great overview of all things period related.
July 10, 2023
Informative and drawn well.
August 9, 2023
A sympathetic and informative read for anyone with (or without!) a uterus.
June 13, 2024
Das Buch, welches ich als junges Mädchen gebraucht hätte.
April 17, 2022
The book is visually very pleasing. I would have loved it even more if I read it as a teenager. Highly highly recommend for students in high school.
December 26, 2023
Buku ilustratif (full color) nan informatif tentang menatruasi. Mulai dari anatomi organ reproduksi wanita, bagaimana seorang wanita bisa mengalami menstruasi, cara memperlakukannya, hingga nantinya mengalami menopause. Selain itu, pembaca juga akan diinformasikan pilihan ramah lingkungan terkait pembalut menstruasi; berbagai macam alat kontrol kehamilan; dan penyakit-penyakit berkaitan dengan organ reproduksi wanita. Lebih daripada itu, konten inti dari buku ini akan merubah pandangan bahwa membicarakan menstruasi itu tabu --- girls need to talk about it casually.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews