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A Bloody Scandal: How Medicine Fails Women in Pain
'Moving, furious and full of hope' ELINOR CLEGHORN'Superbly written' DR. LOUISE NEWSON'Validating and empowering' ABBY NORMAN'Heroic' KAREN HAVELINThroughout their lives, women are taught that it is normal to live in pain. In this urgent investigation into medical misogyny, Evelyn Scott fiercely refutes that myth.
Evelyn was just a teenager when she first began suffering with the symptoms of endometriosis – a reproductive condition that affects one in ten women. For fifteen years, she endured constant, agonising pain. Where she was desperate for clarity and support from medical practitioners, she was instead met with cold dismissals of hysteria and irresponsible misdiagnoses. Her pain left her completely isolated – until sharing her story revealed to her that countless other women were suffering the same fate.
A Bloody Scandal is a personal and shocking account of this gynaecological neglect. Weaving her own experiences with those of women from all across the globe, Evelyn examines the medical, political and educational failures that are causing preventable harm to women with reproductive conditions everywhere. Unflinchingly honest, this book is both a forceful reckoning with broken systems around the world and an urgent call for empathy-led care. Above all, it is a bold, compassionate show of solidarity with the women whose bodies are still being failed today.
Evelyn was just a teenager when she first began suffering with the symptoms of endometriosis – a reproductive condition that affects one in ten women. For fifteen years, she endured constant, agonising pain. Where she was desperate for clarity and support from medical practitioners, she was instead met with cold dismissals of hysteria and irresponsible misdiagnoses. Her pain left her completely isolated – until sharing her story revealed to her that countless other women were suffering the same fate.
A Bloody Scandal is a personal and shocking account of this gynaecological neglect. Weaving her own experiences with those of women from all across the globe, Evelyn examines the medical, political and educational failures that are causing preventable harm to women with reproductive conditions everywhere. Unflinchingly honest, this book is both a forceful reckoning with broken systems around the world and an urgent call for empathy-led care. Above all, it is a bold, compassionate show of solidarity with the women whose bodies are still being failed today.
- GenresNonfictionFeminismHealth
231 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 13, 2026
About the author
Evelyn Scott
39 books18 followersEvelyn Scott was an American novelist, playwright and poet. A modernist and experimental writer, Scott "was a significant literary figure in the 1920s and 1930s, but she eventually sank into critical oblivion.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 3, 2026
Sharing a personal journey takes courage, and I certainly related to parts of the author's experience, as an endometriosis/adenomyosis patient myself.
However, my rating reflects the book's content rather than a judgment of the author's story. As someone with this condition, I found the scope surprisingly narrow and misleading. I was hoping for new studies, fresh facts, or a deeper kind of awareness, but it ultimately felt like a familiar recount rather than an insightful deep dive. It brings nothing new to the table, and these books seem to all be focused on UK healthcare, which is becoming saturated (no offense).
The title and blurb lead readers to think this will cover a whole scope of diseases and conditions women are being ignored on, but sadly it doesn't.
However, my rating reflects the book's content rather than a judgment of the author's story. As someone with this condition, I found the scope surprisingly narrow and misleading. I was hoping for new studies, fresh facts, or a deeper kind of awareness, but it ultimately felt like a familiar recount rather than an insightful deep dive. It brings nothing new to the table, and these books seem to all be focused on UK healthcare, which is becoming saturated (no offense).
The title and blurb lead readers to think this will cover a whole scope of diseases and conditions women are being ignored on, but sadly it doesn't.
October 5, 2026
as someone who is still waiting on an endo diagnosis this fuelled me to not back tf down!!!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book made me angry. Because it's all so true, it hurts
It's an eye-opening, deeply validating read that explains just how little we still know about conditions like endometriosis and adenomyosis, and why our current approach to diagnosis and treatment simply isn't working.
What hit me hardest was the sheer amount of medical gaslighting women still experience. Women live with crippling pain, faint, miss work, and lose years of their lives, only to be told they're exaggerating or that it's "just part of being a woman."
Learning that it can take more than a decade to receive a diagnosis is beyond absurd.
The only downside is that it's genuinely upsetting, because the reality is so infuriating.
If you've ever been told your pain is normal, dismissed, or brushed aside, read this. It's not an easy book, but it feels like a necessary one.
It's an eye-opening, deeply validating read that explains just how little we still know about conditions like endometriosis and adenomyosis, and why our current approach to diagnosis and treatment simply isn't working.
What hit me hardest was the sheer amount of medical gaslighting women still experience. Women live with crippling pain, faint, miss work, and lose years of their lives, only to be told they're exaggerating or that it's "just part of being a woman."
Learning that it can take more than a decade to receive a diagnosis is beyond absurd.
The only downside is that it's genuinely upsetting, because the reality is so infuriating.
If you've ever been told your pain is normal, dismissed, or brushed aside, read this. It's not an easy book, but it feels like a necessary one.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and Fourth Estate for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I was just 12% in and I had to have a breather because it made me so angry. Not at the book itself, but at the topic and the fact that women are still having to advocate for better healthcare - particularly gynaecological healthcare.
This is another one of those books that I will not review as I would a novel. I think the subject matter is more important than whether the pace is right or the "characters" are believable.
I had just written a Substack actually about women's pain and healthcare so I felt this was very timely.
The chapters are about 30 pages each, which for me is too long. It's not quite as important in non-fiction books to have short snappy books because you're not trying to pace a story. But I still prefer short chapters.
I can't believe a book like this is still needed in 2026 but it's amazing how mcuh women still have to go through in regards to gynaecological health. This whole "periods are meant to be painful" belief...no they're not! They're meant to be uncomfortable but not enough to interrupt your day. And it irks me that people still believe that.
I particularly liked (and was dismayed at) the discussions around how boys are not taught about periods and girls are led to believe they are unhygienic and not to be talked about. Now, things might have changed in sex ed at schools nowadays, but my experience was very similar to Evelyn's - boys and girls separated and only taught about the body parts that affect them, and periods are almost mentioned as an afterthought. In fact, looking back, I cant remember ever being taught about them. I learnt everything I knew from reading older women's magazines in the hospital waiting room.
And if you take boys...they become men, and if they end up in a relationship with a woman, periods WILL be a big part of that relationships so it's vital they learn about them.
And I don't get it. Periods are natural. As far as I'm aware, all (or most) females of all species have a menstrual period. Without which, babies cannot be conceived. Without periods, the men who brush anything related under the carpet and think of as dirty, would not be alive to think those things.
After doing some googling I found that there is roughly THIRTY TIMES more funding per patient experiencing male pattern balding than there is for endometriosis patients, and that's just incomprehensible.
There's a good balance between her own experiences and other case studies, and with scientific information and stats. Some of it is a bit technical and went over my head but that's not a hugely big problem.
Thanks to NetGalley and Fourth Estate for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I was just 12% in and I had to have a breather because it made me so angry. Not at the book itself, but at the topic and the fact that women are still having to advocate for better healthcare - particularly gynaecological healthcare.
This is another one of those books that I will not review as I would a novel. I think the subject matter is more important than whether the pace is right or the "characters" are believable.
I had just written a Substack actually about women's pain and healthcare so I felt this was very timely.
The chapters are about 30 pages each, which for me is too long. It's not quite as important in non-fiction books to have short snappy books because you're not trying to pace a story. But I still prefer short chapters.
I can't believe a book like this is still needed in 2026 but it's amazing how mcuh women still have to go through in regards to gynaecological health. This whole "periods are meant to be painful" belief...no they're not! They're meant to be uncomfortable but not enough to interrupt your day. And it irks me that people still believe that.
I particularly liked (and was dismayed at) the discussions around how boys are not taught about periods and girls are led to believe they are unhygienic and not to be talked about. Now, things might have changed in sex ed at schools nowadays, but my experience was very similar to Evelyn's - boys and girls separated and only taught about the body parts that affect them, and periods are almost mentioned as an afterthought. In fact, looking back, I cant remember ever being taught about them. I learnt everything I knew from reading older women's magazines in the hospital waiting room.
And if you take boys...they become men, and if they end up in a relationship with a woman, periods WILL be a big part of that relationships so it's vital they learn about them.
And I don't get it. Periods are natural. As far as I'm aware, all (or most) females of all species have a menstrual period. Without which, babies cannot be conceived. Without periods, the men who brush anything related under the carpet and think of as dirty, would not be alive to think those things.
After doing some googling I found that there is roughly THIRTY TIMES more funding per patient experiencing male pattern balding than there is for endometriosis patients, and that's just incomprehensible.
There's a good balance between her own experiences and other case studies, and with scientific information and stats. Some of it is a bit technical and went over my head but that's not a hugely big problem.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I thought this was going to be a different to what I read. I thought this was going to be about how womens pain gets dismissed in a medical setting, but this is primarily all about women with endometriosis.
I did learn some new things in this book, but I did find some inconsistencies where facts were not facts.
There has been something research to this book but when I googled some information it came up with AI.
Scott mentions that there is no proof that the contraception pill is linked to depression. When doing my own research there was a swedish study in 2023 that proves contraception pill can cause depression
Scott mentions that Ryeqo isn't for long term use, but the NHS approved this for long term use in 2025.
Scott mentions that "It is not a patients job to educate people about their illness and how it effects them." - Well yes to an extent it can be helpful for people that have illnesses/ diseases to educate otherwise.
Despite these discrepancies this book to a point was interesting. I do feel that Scott is advocating for too much. Reading about the menstruation days (Can't remember if that is the correct term) where companies give you 3 paid days off a month. Realistically why would a business pay for that? Is that was allowed for women qith Endometriosis then it would have to be looked at for other conditions such as MS, Fibromyalgia, EDS and so on. For some companies in the UK that's what sick days are for.
I understand that diagnosis for Endometriosis is long and 100% women need to be listened too and get the help they need and not be ignored and left in pain, and I do hope it does improve and get better.
I just think on the whole there needs to be solid research
Thanks Netgally and Fourth estate for my copy
I did learn some new things in this book, but I did find some inconsistencies where facts were not facts.
There has been something research to this book but when I googled some information it came up with AI.
Scott mentions that there is no proof that the contraception pill is linked to depression. When doing my own research there was a swedish study in 2023 that proves contraception pill can cause depression
Scott mentions that Ryeqo isn't for long term use, but the NHS approved this for long term use in 2025.
Scott mentions that "It is not a patients job to educate people about their illness and how it effects them." - Well yes to an extent it can be helpful for people that have illnesses/ diseases to educate otherwise.
Despite these discrepancies this book to a point was interesting. I do feel that Scott is advocating for too much. Reading about the menstruation days (Can't remember if that is the correct term) where companies give you 3 paid days off a month. Realistically why would a business pay for that? Is that was allowed for women qith Endometriosis then it would have to be looked at for other conditions such as MS, Fibromyalgia, EDS and so on. For some companies in the UK that's what sick days are for.
I understand that diagnosis for Endometriosis is long and 100% women need to be listened too and get the help they need and not be ignored and left in pain, and I do hope it does improve and get better.
I just think on the whole there needs to be solid research
Thanks Netgally and Fourth estate for my copy
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Having followed Evelyn's Instagram account for a number of years for her advocacy and incredible help to other people suffering with the pain and effects of endometriosis, I was so thrilled to see her publishing this very important book.
A Bloody Scandal is part memoir of her own experiences and part a collection of research findings, interviews with a variety of patients, doctors and specialists, and also important recommendations for what is possible to make diagnosis, treatment and, ultimately, the lived experiences and quality of life of those with endometriosis better.
I felt I was nodding along, highlighting and finding comparison to my own experiences with many passages in this book, it is well written and easy for anyone to follow whether you're familiar with endometriosis (& other conditions) or not.
I feel this book has an important role in education, guidance and solutions to the current problems women encounter with neglect in gynaecological health (& other medical fields) and the unnecessary suffering, and sometimes severe health implications, born from that professional failure. Currently, things only seem to be getting worse rather than better, with ever growing waiting lists, lack of follow-up care, cuts in funding for urgent procedures and a lack of specialists across the UK, and beyond.
This book is publishing at an important time where there are opportunities to invest in and expedite the changes that are sorely needed in the area of women's health and I hope it will reach those that need to read it.
A Bloody Scandal is part memoir of her own experiences and part a collection of research findings, interviews with a variety of patients, doctors and specialists, and also important recommendations for what is possible to make diagnosis, treatment and, ultimately, the lived experiences and quality of life of those with endometriosis better.
I felt I was nodding along, highlighting and finding comparison to my own experiences with many passages in this book, it is well written and easy for anyone to follow whether you're familiar with endometriosis (& other conditions) or not.
I feel this book has an important role in education, guidance and solutions to the current problems women encounter with neglect in gynaecological health (& other medical fields) and the unnecessary suffering, and sometimes severe health implications, born from that professional failure. Currently, things only seem to be getting worse rather than better, with ever growing waiting lists, lack of follow-up care, cuts in funding for urgent procedures and a lack of specialists across the UK, and beyond.
This book is publishing at an important time where there are opportunities to invest in and expedite the changes that are sorely needed in the area of women's health and I hope it will reach those that need to read it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Bloody Scandal is a powerful examination of the ways endometriosis and other gynaecological conditions have been overlooked and underfunded for far too long. Scott makes a compelling case for why medical misogyny matters and why far greater investment in research, diagnosis and treatment is urgently needed.
As someone diagnosed with endo and other chronic conditions, I'm pretty well-read on the subject, and while this perhaps reads more like an extended blog than others (It's Probably Nothing and Inconceivable being too recent faves), I still found it an important and worthwhile read. The insights into Scott's personal story are emotive, and I found the final section, exploring emerging research and future possibilities for diagnostics and treatment, particularly interesting.
Part blog, part battle-cry, A Bloody Scandal is an important contribution to the conversation around women's health.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
As someone diagnosed with endo and other chronic conditions, I'm pretty well-read on the subject, and while this perhaps reads more like an extended blog than others (It's Probably Nothing and Inconceivable being too recent faves), I still found it an important and worthwhile read. The insights into Scott's personal story are emotive, and I found the final section, exploring emerging research and future possibilities for diagnostics and treatment, particularly interesting.
Part blog, part battle-cry, A Bloody Scandal is an important contribution to the conversation around women's health.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
August 25, 2026
A quick, easy book on how medicine fails women with gynaecological problems. This book was particularly interesting for me as I suffer with endometriosis and wasn’t diagnosed until I was 40. There were some bits that were new and informative to me and I liked the real life stories interspersed throughout the book but I did feel like there could have been a chapter written on where/how to access support, either IRL or online. There was a lot of describing the issues and problems with care in the UK and worldwide but I’m surprised there was no signposting to online communities that the author herself said she found so useful. Gatekeeping the information and making people seek it out seems almost cruel when endometriosis can cause women to suffer alone and in silence.
August 26, 2026
I think most women can relate with their own stories of being dismissed by medical professionals-anything to do with gynaecological issues gets the pill thrown at it and some crap about “ every woman has this pain”. This is an important book about how endometriosis is especially pushed aside and how the women suffering feel alone.
It’s an interesting read but I think the title and blurb are a bit deceiving. I expected a book about how womens medical issues in general are dismissed (eg from periods, contraception, desire to be sterilised, as well as illnesses) but this book is also or exclusively about endometriosis. It’s a very important issues for sure but I didn’t realise that’s the only thing the book would cover.
It’s an interesting read but I think the title and blurb are a bit deceiving. I expected a book about how womens medical issues in general are dismissed (eg from periods, contraception, desire to be sterilised, as well as illnesses) but this book is also or exclusively about endometriosis. It’s a very important issues for sure but I didn’t realise that’s the only thing the book would cover.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews