Women’s bodies are incredible, and we were not taught ANYTHING about them growing up. If you were like me and grew up in a public school system in the Bible belt, you were taught that sex was a sin until it was a blessing from God. Then taught abstinence in school and shown all of the dangerous consequences that can come from sex. Women were never taught anything regarding their own health or sexuality outside of how it relates to our future husbands and children. We were not taught about reproductive health, hormone cycles, fertility windows, or even our own pleasure.

And for some reason, this is still so taboo that even as a thirty-two-year-old woman, I cringe at the thought of making this post.

In light of the recent events, I wanted to share some resources that have helped me. I am fully aware that this will not help the women that conceive from sexual assault (1 in 6 women are victims of SA), this will not reverse a failed IUD or contraception method. But I am not posting to debate or hate.

These resources helped me understand my body and my cycle. The information in these books and websites can help you regulate your cycle if it’s irregular, notice any hormone issues that may be pointing to underlying problems, and even help ease or sometimes cure PCOS and endometriosis naturally. If you DO want to get pregnant, these can help you, if you DON’T these can help you. OBGYNs I’ve met with have just tried to throw the pill at me as a cure-all instead of actually educating me on my own body and hormones.

And maybe you already know all of these things. If so, please keep scrolling. But they have helped me understand and own my body in a time when that seems to be up for debate.