Seeing Red: How to Read Your Cycle, Ease Your Symptoms, and Take Control of Your Destiny—One Period at a Time

by Kirsten Karchmer

A world-renowned women’s health expert reveals a bold, practical, and data-driven handbook for menstrual periods that provides an easy-to-navigate roadmap for improving your reproductive health—and your everyday quality of life.

We’ve been lied to about periods. PMS, cramping, bloating, migraines, irritability, and anxiety may be extremely common, but contrary to popular belief, they aren’t normal. And they certainly aren’t “just part of being a woman,” despite the fact that this is what we’ve been told time and time again—by friends, family, and even doctors. After dedicating her entire clinical career to deconstructing the menstrual cycle, women’s health expert Kirsten Karchmer knows better.

During her more than twenty years of research and treating thousands of patients, Karchmer found that most period problems women experience—even the most painful ones—are totally correctable and more surprisingly reflective of overall health and fertility. In this forthright, spirited, and all-encompassing guide, Karchmer draws on her decades’ worth of experience as a women’s health expert to break down the myths so many women have been led to believe about their periods. For the more than 82 million women in the world who suffer from menstrual conditions, Seeing Red explains the importance of a healthy menstrual cycle (and how to achieve it) and why it is important to the women’s movement. Menstrual cycles are not a curse, but an instrument providing women with one of the most valuable, regularly occurring, and free diagnostic tools they have, giving them access to unprecedented health and power.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Feminism, Self Help, Audiobook

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2019

Reviews

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initial Thoughts: There aren't many actionable steps here. A large portion of the book is dedicated to explaining why periods shouldn't be taboo and why period pain and complications can be considered "common" but shouldn't be considered "normal." This is all uplifting but not overly helpful if you already agree. Then there's the standard advice about having an overall healthy lifestyle (sleep, exercise, diet, mindfulness) to help your problems and only a single chapter with specific steps about what to do for problems like endo or menopause. (Weirdly there was not a generic "painful cramps" section.) The book otherwise does largely feel like an ad for the author's own products, services, and apps--which you basically would have to check out if you actually want to do something about the problems you're experiencing because the book itself isn't that detailed.

[Johann (jobis89) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I did learn a few new things but whether or not I’ll implement the “no caffeine” and “less intense exercise” tips remains to be seen…

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had little novel advice, and felt like an ad for the author's products.

[Alexandrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeing Red is a book every woman should read. It examines the not very widely spread idea of our periods being a giveaway as to the overall health we have. That we need to be more mindful of what we're experiencing, and that being in excruciating pain every month is not normal, nor necessary. I was more interested for period knowledge but it goes well into how that links with fertility for those interested.

[Rhiannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so optimistic heading into this book. The first chunk of it, I kept thinking to myself how I couldn’t wait to recommend it to all the women I know and tell them the exciting things I was about to learn. But it did not deliver. The only good things I have to say are 1. It has a lot of footnotes so it was probably well researched (but not necessarily with the types of research I would want to see in a book like this) and 2. I really loved the writing style. It bridged the gap between professional/boring and casual/fun really well. The negative things I have to say about this book: it was basically a convoluted, repetitive, common-sense-spewing way to sell a product. One big advertisement. To oversimplify it a little, the author (who has no medical degree as far as I could find) tells you that no matter how bad your periods are, you can get better by sleeping enough, exercising the right amount, eating better, and being positive! Even if you have a chronic illness, that’s all you need to feel better! Oh, and of course buying the specially blended herbal supplements that you can get for $60 on the website. Honestly I find this type of preaching to be pretty harmful. Those are all things that OBVIOUSLY help (excluding the supplements which I have no information about) but to try and tell women that their problems can be nearly solved with these basic common sense things could really be harmful to someone with chronic illness. They might start thinking if they’re not getting better, it must be their own fault, they aren’t eating enough vegetables or whatever. If you liked this book, and it helped you, I’m very happy for you. It was very much not for me.

[Pooja Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kirsten Karchmer's "Seeing Red: Transforming Women's Health One Period at a time" is a data-driven handbook for more information about the period's one of the most important and significant parts of a woman's life, yet most often neglected and hushed under the carpet.
The book includes well-researched details about everything about periods, from the quality to the duration, to their effects on our lives not just for a week but almost the entirety of the 28-day cycle, and how to manage the period health better.
.
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🍂 The text includes a lot of examples from the author's experience of researching for around 20 years, reaching out to her patients and while treating them, and it's certainly eye-opening in a way, that you realize how ignorant you have been all your life, and how little you know about your periods. As is the nature of non-fiction, it gets quite factual and a little uninteresting to follow through, but if you read slowly, you will find the power through worth it, for there is so much to derive from the book. Informative in a way, but it could have been slightly more action-oriented than only imparting knowledge.
Having said that, it makes for a good read, one that you can read with a grain of salt, and yet take home something with you.

[McKenzie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The biggest reason I picked this book up is because a while back I began to get more in touch with my body. Now, I know that may sound a little hokey... but hear me out. *Here is your warning: I am about to get really personal, so turn back now if you can't handle it.

About a year and a half ago I began using only organic feminine products. Almost immediately I began noticing that my cramps were lessening, my flow did not last as long, and I genuinely had more energy. A lot of companies tout that non-organic products are bad for you. However, I genuinely believe that we need to be very careful about what we put (and keep) in our bodies. I mean, toxic shock syndrome sounds horrifying.

Seeing Red tells us that we need to be more mindful and listen to our bodies. Some of what we have been told, such as painful cramping is normal, is, quite frankly, wrong. When our bodies try to tell us something, we need to listen. This book also shares that we can achieve a healthy menstrual cycle, and that we should work towards that. I feel that every woman, and girl, should read this book. It is a real eye-opener!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kristen Karchmer is a knowledgable, empowering, badass woman who aims to spread her wealth of knowledge across the world. Written in the most approachable, honest, and balanced way, Karchmer links the the process of menstruation to overall female health. Females (and people with periods - PWP's) do not need to suffer as has been normalized. What we chose to eat, drink, fill our time with (along with the expectations and stereotypes set by society) effects not just our periods and health but also our fertility. Females, and PWP's, have the ability to alter their health for the positive and "Seeing Red" is a wonderful roadmap. I recommend!

I will warn you, while this book is easy to fly through, a highlighter is needed. There is a wealth of overwhelming knowledge being delivered and can be quite triggering depending on your own experiences with menstruation, fertility, and overall reproductive health.

**I did get confused with some of the chapters relating to diet - whether organic meats or plant based diets are "better". I am choosing to walk away with the notion that not one path is the "right" path for everyone. Tweaking habits here and there can go a long way and this book was written to clarify and offer options while delivering findings in current literature.

[Barbara Zeta · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has very little new information. It's quite repetitive and sometimes it seems a praise about the author's product.

[Rachel Jackson · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is absolutely no medical basis for this book and I very quickly lost trust for anything Kirsten Karchmer was saying—no, pulling out of her ass. By page 65 of Seeing Red it was clear that this book was a total sham, with the apparent purpose of blaming women for their ignorance and stigma about their menstrual cycles, and selling Karchmer’s own products and services, accolading herself for having “helped” thousands of women through some pretty questionable methods. And indeed, later, on page 148 she says she’s “very confident that I can reduce pain and suffering,” but that “the only problem is that there’s not enough of me to go around.” This is an incredibly self-centered and arrogant approach to take, rather than actually offering anything tangible and realistic to women who face difficult menstrual cycles.

Karchmer’s messages are extremely contradictory anyway: on the very first page she calls periods “suffering every month,” which I think is a reckless default language to set, especially for young girls; but then later she says menstruation is not a curse. So which is it? Which do you believe? She claims that by saying women’s periods need “fixing” that she doesn’t believe they are broken, but she offers her own weird holistic and Chinese herb-focused approach to actually completely revamping every single woman’s period to an “ideal” state:

“The ideal menstrual cycle is twenty-eight days long, with ovulation on the fourteenth day of the cycle with healthy cervical discharge that’s stretchy and clear. Throughout the cycle, there’s no PMS, no cramping, no clotting, and no spotting between periods, and when the menstrual blood comes, it’s fresh and red. There’s enough blood to soak a tampon or a pad every four hours for four days, neither more or less” (page 64).

Except that, hold on, women are not all the same, and just because you think everyone’s periods are “wrong” in some way or another doesn’t mean that you can dictate how we should view and improve (or even want to improve) our menstrual health. Karchmer constantly broaches how many thousands of women she’s met with, but she never actually establishes how she helps them, what data she's collected, anything concrete to codify her apparent status as some menstruation guru—so why would I trust her when she says a one-size-fits-all approach actually is the right one here? (Especially, appallingly, when she also labels menopause a “disease”!)

For instance, when she talks about the standard for color and consistency of blood that you should have, she says that you shouldn’t have coagulated or clotted blood or anything other than liquid blood at all, in fact, because it means you could have blood clots elsewhere in your body and put you more at risk of heart disease. Well, even I have talked to enough women about our periods to know that almost everyone has diverse menstrual effluent coming out of them at any given point—and that effluent consists of endometrial lining, thicker blood clots, clumps of uterine tissue, and regular blood. It is extremely normal to have all of these things come out of you during your period. Does that experience and knowledge make me qualified to write about menstruation, now?

The whole book has that same air of pretension throughout it, but it gets worse as Karchmer continually insists that women have “substandard cycles” and seems to place the blame on women for it. She puts us at fault for our ignorance and for our cycles being “abnormal,” and gives some pretty surface level pseudo-medical nutrition and exercise advice, and then then she proceeds to repeat just how many women she’s helped (“having had squillions of conversations with women since pretty much forever”—excuse me?). It’s incredibly self-serving.

I’m all for finding lifestyle choices to address health issues before rushing to a doctor and taking pharmaceutical medications; I don’t think jumping straight to pathologizing ourselves in every circumstance is the right way to go. But when a writer diving into a medical and biological field of study is saying that every woman’s period is wrong in some way and we should all resort to Chinese medicine to fix it (or, alternatively, go to my website! download my app! take my online quiz!), it’s utterly laughable that anything she could say could be a worthwhile read.

[Jan Peregrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In a large-scale study of women who had difficulty conceiving, Harvard scientists found that increasing the intake of animal protein, even by as little as one serving a day, resulted in a 32 percent higher likelihood of ovulatory infertility. Furthermore, researchers found that women who consumed plant protein (instead of animal protein) for as little as five percent of their total daily calories had a 50 percent decrease in their risk of ovulatory infertility.”

Kirsten Karchmer, author of 2020's Seeing Red: What Every Woman Should Know—Period, is not a vegan advocating a plant-based diet, but she certainly sounds like one with the above research.

Earlier in the book she expressed her concern that plant-based diets wouldn't provide a menstruating woman enough iron and that they need some animal protein. Then she comments that dried apricots have as much iron as animal protein, although she doesn't say how much. It's rather confusing.

Please note that there are many delicious ways to get enough iron from beans, legumes, dried fruit, and dark, leafy vegetables, combined with citrus and hemp is a complete protein source too.

I picked up the book because my women friends always mention having very painful periods from cramps requiring strong painkillers and/or heavy, unending bleeding. One today said her period makes her angry. These are common symptoms that eighty percent of woman in the world repeatedly suffer. Others are breast tenderness, bloating, and pelvic pain.

I too experienced terrible cramps until I read that using fish oil supplements with vitamin B6 would get rid of them and they immediately did. Nutritional advice including Chinese herbs, is iuncluded.

Karchmer started out as an acupuncturist and realized her passion lay in helping women with fertility and menstrual problems, which she's done with great success for twenty years. She wrote the book to help all the women she cannot see.

The main message is that menstrual pain is not normal and should be addressed rather than covered up or ignored. The human race only exists because of menstrual blood, after all.

She describes healthy menstrual blood and how it acts as a diagnostic tool for women's overall health.

I totally agree with her that it's not normal or a necessary curse that women endure debilitating pain from their periods. She observes that it holds many women back in their careers and schooling, that it should not be treated as a taboo subject or an excuse to isolate and demean them. Often they don't even have sanitary supplies or access to women's health clinics! How will the human race survive without women who menstruate healthy blood? Their ability to conceive is greatly affected.

Women and the men who love them need to read this transformative book. Period!

[Lana Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found her feminist arguments to be fantastic, but the evidence she uses to support her menstruation recommendations were so weak that it ruined the book for me, honestly.

Her critiques of the way that modern medicine handles women’s health issues were right on the money, but the solutions she presented were absent of high-quality science. They were so bad that I am scared they undermine her very valid message: that menstrual pain is worthy of treatment.

The most appalling piece of misinformation, to me, was on page 48. She wrote “there are no other medical conditions for which we simply accept that pain and suffering are the fate of the patients.” This is insultingly out of touch and blatantly wrong. Though it’s just one sentence, it gives the book a cursory feel. No one should be taking a scientifically sloppy approach to such an important topic. Ms. Karchmer, please take a moment to read about orthopedic surgery outcomes in the United States.

She’s also guilty of doing something that lots of self-proclaimed health gurus do these days: using studies’ findings out of context. For example, she writes “you’ll get the added benefit of increased metabolism if you drink 17 ounces [of water] at one time. According to one study, participants’ metabolic activity temporarily increased between 24 and 30 percent when they did so.” The authors of this study were probably trying to see how the body reacts to taking in lots of water at once, not if it’s a valid way to lose weight. A temporary (key word temporary) increase in metabolism by 20-30% is probably inconsequential. Why bring it up? Sloppy.

Her TCM stuff lacked evidence too, but I found it interesting to hear about. The two points above were much more frustrating.

Now onto what I liked. Her arguments for why period pain is worthy of treatment were strong. I liked her distinction between “common” and “normal.” Menstrual pain might be common, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored.

“Our society tells women and PWPs that all of this inconvenience and agony is normal - that suffering is simply part of being a woman and they should do it quietly because no one really wants to hear about their periods.” Beautifully put. Her PMDD description was powerful too. If anything, why isn’t PMDD being taken seriously in medicine?

I hope that books on this topic take a more rigorous approach in the future.

[Elana Boise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of the first non fiction books I have read in a couple of years, and while it was interesting, I think it reminded me why I love fiction so much, because it took me WEEKS to get through this!

While this book had so many really amazing points, I think the overall result was a little lackluster. This information is really empowering and beautiful for all women to know, especially if you don't have anyone in your life to help you understand the magic that is the female reproductive system!

I think it did a great job in dispelling some of the stigma around periods and highlighting the lack of attention towards women concerning their health. However, I think the information was really dense, and didn't really focus on any tangible way to create change. Information is great, but when your critiquing a system that's in place, its nice to have an action plan, or show steps that would make a difference. I think this book did a great job of showing how the women's health industry has effectively created an entire false narrative surround reproductive health in favor of capitalistic gain. I think the biggest push towards change is simply women (all women presenting individuals) having positions of authority, such as doctors, FDA agents, pharmaceutical scientists, etc. actively working to make the industry better.

A good book, but make sure to pair with some others to round out the topic. I read Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski and Better Period Food Solution by Tracy Lockwood Beckerman at the same time and I think the combo was incredible!

[Lisa Konet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was well written and had many great tips for women suffering during their period and also to empower women it does not have to be that way. The author herself suffered during her period as well but also maintained a healthy lifestyle until she was diagnosed with MS and made a friend who was seeing an acupuncturist and recommended she do the same. This led the author to her destiny to becoming an acupuncturist specializing in women's health and reproduction..

Some statistics in the book:

Q:

"8% of women population have poly-cystic ovaries"
"10% endure endometriosis"
"84.1% have dysmenorrhea"

The rest of this I felt was a how-to guide to help control the symptoms of menstrual pain. with step by step tips for your period archetype (the book has 4).. The author also encourages seeking out your gynecologist/doctor before changing your healthcare.. I discovered what can help me ease my own discomfort.

Thank you Net Galley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Maggi Andersen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where to begin... The author hates men. Like, despises them. They are scum who only serve to perpetuate women's (or "people with periods" - the author isn't consistent with this language, and likes to pull it out now and then so she can appear "inclusive") oppression. I don't know why a book about periods have to be so heavily male-focused, but you know. Girl power. Or something.

She's not a doctor. Far from it. She knows acupuncture, and she touts traditional Chinese medicine but won't elaborate, because - and this brings me to the real beef I've got with this book - she wants you to buy the herbs she sells through one of her two companies that she promotes heavily through this book that masquerades as "help." She's helping no one but her pocketbook. In the end, I learned nothing - absolutely nothing - about women's health that I didn't already know. Skip this book, and talk to your doctor.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea of using periods as an engine check for the whole body is an interesting one I hadn't really heard before, but the actual substance of "how" felt lacking. The book is sprinkled with a lot of motivational fluff and few actionable steps, most of which aren't that different from the usual health advice. There were some promising and well researched statistics that got buried under all the rest of it. I still found merit in a lot the suggestions and the approach. A condensed version would be more compelling.

[Abby Jester · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great first introduction into understanding your period and your body as a woman. I was going into it with very limited knowledge and I think that the easy way she explains things was very helpful. Some people might feel it’s basic but until reading this book, I didn’t realize that suffering through your period wasn’t normal. Sometimes things were a bit vague or I was looking for more action oriented steps but overall, a great starting point. The tagline is correct, every woman needs to read this book!

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot through this book. I think it would be a really great companion read with "The Vagina Bible" by Jennifer Gunter.

I loved the commentary at the beginning and end of this book and really appreciated the inclusivity throughout (something that's oftentimes lost in our conversations surrounding menstruation).

Some of the book was a little too prescriptive and felt like a bit of an ad for the author's app/website. But, I think that's okay because I still learned a lot.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I am not sure I believe every statement in this book, I believe that our periods can tell us more about our bodies than previously considered.

I’m leery of any book that states that there is one medical standard. I'm stressed enough about “Aunt Flo” without holding my flow up to the exact hour I should fill a hygiene product. That aside, this book is worth the read. Thanks to Trainer B for recommending it to me.

[Sarah Diop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every person with a period needs to read this book! Honestly, it’s an excellent read, not only do you learn about your body, but the authors personally comes though as well. Making it a fast and enjoyable read. She teaches you just because something is common doesn’t mean it’s normal. We can all live without painful periods & she shows us how. She also tells you your period is giving you feedback on your health and is an incredible tool! Read it!

[Laura Vaisman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirsten is a trailblazer for women. Her book outlines and connects how much things can affect our periods. I've learned so much from her work, her content and her herbal blends have helped me a lot. This book is something that every young woman should read. Hell, make it a requirement for a health Ed. class. If you're on a journey of trying to make your cycles better, I highly recommend reaching out to her or reading this book.

[Aftonb21 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book had a lot of helpful information. I appreciated the fact that she touched on all the different stigmas around having a period and how women have been treated throughout history. I did find it ridiculous that in the beginning, she mentions “people” who have periods. I’m sorry women are the only ones who have to suffer through incredibly painful periods. So let’s not minimize that please by trying to be politically correct.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why Am I Now Just Learning This?

Eye-opening explanation for all the period-related issues I experience every month. It makes me so mad my doctors just diagnosed me with an anxiety disorder, when I knew there was something else going on. Kirsten gave me the tools to heal myself and hopefully be symptom free. Now, to find a reproductive acupuncturist is my area.

[Sarah Marina McGinnis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every woman needs to read this book. I particularly started reading it to get information on how to ease my monthly cycle pain. But it has so much information for women who are trying to get pregnant. Our periods are a signal of our overall health and wellness. And Ive learned so much on how to hopefully improve my quality of life during my cycles. 5/5!!

[ginathebibliohoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read your cycle and ease your symptoms.
End your period shame.
Reclaim your body.

This book was a great collection of information regarding the female reproductive happenings, and I think everyone should read it, whether you menstruate or not.

[Cassy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot of interesting history included in the book, however it read more as a woman's empowerment book than a practical guide to improving menstrual and reproductive health. There are more comprehensive guides for that available.

[Elle Klock · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should have given up on this pseudo-feminist, pseudo-science BS when the first un-ironic use of “herstory” sprung up but I had to toss it out when the author earnestly claims periods are more important than climate change. Lol, girl please.

[Cali Burningham · Rating 2 out of 5]

hm i guess I went into this book with the wrong impression but it was like 1/2 about history then a little bit of period advice then just a ton of other random stuff about other women affiliated conditions. Idk good idea but not that helpful

[Christopher]

From the cover: "The One Book Every Woman Needs to Read."

What about men? Should men know about this stuff too? Once I read it, I'll let all the other men know.

[Elizabeth Fikar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for every one who has ever suffered through their menstrual cycle.