Strange Bedfellows: Adventures in the Science, History, and Surprising Secrets of STDs
Registered by 
GoryDetails
of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 1/15/2022
This book is in a Controlled Release!
GoryDetails of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 1/15/2022 This book is in a Controlled Release!
2 journalers for this copy...
I got this hardcover at Toadstool Books in Nashua. It's a "biography of things" of STDs!
Later: the book's an interesting mix of history, science, and medicine, with touches of humor as well. (Not quite at the level of Mary Roach's humorous-science books, but there are some very amusing bits here and there - not least when the author describes getting drafted as the volunteer for a cervix-examination for some new med students, and is bemused at the up-close view of a portion of her own anatomy that she'd never seen before. Oh, and the bit where her sons (ages 8 and 3) are squabbling over possession of the giant-microbe plushies that she gave them - "Mom!!! Zane has syphilis, and he won't give it to me!" "Dat's mine! You hab herpes!" "I don't want herpes, I want syphilis!!" "Well, you're mean! You need to share wid me!" {snerk!} BTW - I love those giant-microbe plushies...)
The book covers a variety of STIs, historical and modern, folding in some of the more successful health initiatives - and some of the draconian measures that forced sufferers underground to avoid stigma. The book covers such things as the role of pubic hair in STIs - and how recent fashions in removing most or all of one's pubic hair might have unfortunate side effects re certain kinds of illnesses. [In contrast, the author wonders whether the crab louse might become endangered due to the loss of so much habitat, and in some practices it seems that crabs are a vanishing ailment.] She did steel herself to undergo a Brazilian wax just to see what the fuss was about; I've never had any interest in such a thing myself but I did appreciate her sharing her experiences!
There are case histories, studies, examinations of the lifestyles of HPV and syphilis and AIDS - and a look at the roles of ancient and modern medicine in attempting to treat STIs.
Later: the book's an interesting mix of history, science, and medicine, with touches of humor as well. (Not quite at the level of Mary Roach's humorous-science books, but there are some very amusing bits here and there - not least when the author describes getting drafted as the volunteer for a cervix-examination for some new med students, and is bemused at the up-close view of a portion of her own anatomy that she'd never seen before. Oh, and the bit where her sons (ages 8 and 3) are squabbling over possession of the giant-microbe plushies that she gave them - "Mom!!! Zane has syphilis, and he won't give it to me!" "Dat's mine! You hab herpes!" "I don't want herpes, I want syphilis!!" "Well, you're mean! You need to share wid me!" {snerk!} BTW - I love those giant-microbe plushies...)
The book covers a variety of STIs, historical and modern, folding in some of the more successful health initiatives - and some of the draconian measures that forced sufferers underground to avoid stigma. The book covers such things as the role of pubic hair in STIs - and how recent fashions in removing most or all of one's pubic hair might have unfortunate side effects re certain kinds of illnesses. [In contrast, the author wonders whether the crab louse might become endangered due to the loss of so much habitat, and in some practices it seems that crabs are a vanishing ailment.] She did steel herself to undergo a Brazilian wax just to see what the fuss was about; I've never had any interest in such a thing myself but I did appreciate her sharing her experiences!
There are case histories, studies, examinations of the lifestyles of HPV and syphilis and AIDS - and a look at the roles of ancient and modern medicine in attempting to treat STIs.
I'm adding this to the Biographies of Things bookbox. (The bookbox journal includes my selections and replacements.) Hope someone enjoys it!
Journal Entry 3 by 
haahaahaa98
at Biographies of Things, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, February 7, 2023
haahaahaa98 at Biographies of Things, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Released 1 mo ago (2/7/2023 UTC) at Biographies of Things, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Found in the current Biographies of Things bookbox; returning back into the box.
