Book Review
A short overview of this book
Start Talking: A Girl’s Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex & Whatever by Mary Jo Rapini and Janine Sherman is a Q&A book for moms and girls that will help them to start talking about puberty, periods, love, sex and relationships.
This is an older book that is a little bit out of date, but it is useful in regards to that it has some great ideas for starting conversations ie ideas for both mums and daughters who might be struggling to talk about something. It provides information about periods, how to look after your new body, what happens when visiting the doctor, sexually transmitted infections, contraception, body image, eating disorders, mental health and more.
Ideal Age
This is a book for parents.
Buy this book
✅ Buy a copy of Start Talking by Mary Jo Rapini and Janine Sherman from Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener
Hey there! I’m Cath Hak from Sex Ed Rescue, and today I want to share my thoughts on a book that’s been highly recommended. It’s called Start Talking: A Girl’s Guide for You and Your Mom about Health, Sex, and Whatever by Mary Jo Rapini and Jane Sherman, published in 2018.
Now, this book covers a lot of ground, from puberty to love, sex, relationships, and growing up. It’s packed with helpful information and conversation starters. While it’s primarily aimed at parents, it can also be a great resource for teenage girls.
The book starts off by addressing puberty, including all the usual stuff like periods, using tampons, and tracking cycles. It even includes some relatable stories and discusses the different stages of puberty.
Next, it delves into routine health care, specifically pelvic examinations. It explains what to expect during these exams and when to be concerned about things like discharge. It also touches on infections and STDs, providing important information about sexual health.
The book then moves on to sexuality and relationships, birth control, body image, eating disorders, and psychological health. Finally, it tackles the topic of sex. However, it doesn’t go into detail about pornography, sexting, or social media, as it’s an older book. It also doesn’t cover newer topics like consent and sexual coercion.
One of the book’s main strengths is the conversation starters it provides. It offers suggestions on how to initiate discussions about various topics, which can be incredibly helpful for parents and daughters alike.
While some of the information on contraception and STIs may be a bit outdated, and it doesn’t cover all the latest trends, this book can still be a valuable resource for starting important conversations.
So, if you’re looking for a book that can help you and your daughter open up about these topics, Start Talking is definitely worth considering. It’s got plenty of ideas and talking points to get the conversation flowing. Give it a go!
I hope this review has been helpful. Cheers!
