The Hormone Myth: How Junk Science, Gender Politics, and Lies about PMS Keep Women Down

by Robyn Stein DeLuca PhD

Overview

“The Hormone Myth is a bracing, accurate breath of fresh air. It turns conventional wisdom about hormones on its head, and provides a far more liberating view of women’s health than what we’ve all been taught.”
—Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom​

“Is it that time of month?”
“Is your biological clock ticking?”
"You're so emotional lately—are you going through menopause?"

We’ve all heard it before. From the moody menstrual monster to the menopausal maniac, the idea that women become raving lunatics when their hormones fluctuate is firmly entrenched in American culture—anddeeply fueled by the media. But where exactly did this stereotype come from? How has it hurt women? And how can we move past it once and for all?

In this breakthrough book, Robyn Stein DeLuca fearlessly exposes and debunks pervasive myths about women’s hormones, and reveals how flawed, outdated research and sexism have joined forces throughout history to keep women “in their place.” With a revolutionary exploration of women’s hormonal lives­­­­­­­—from menstruation to childbirth to menopause—DeLuca shines a much-needed light on the lies that have impacted women.

Now more than ever, it’s time to resist the myth that women are ruled by their hormones. It’s time for women to take charge of their lives. And it’s time for women to own their emotions in a healthy and realistic way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626255111
Publisher:	New Harbinger Publications
Publication date:	08/01/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	200
File size:	716 KB

About the Author

Robyn Stein DeLuca, PhD, is a research assistant professor in the department of psychology at Stony Brook University, and was a core faculty member of the women’s and gender studies program for fifteen years. She has taught a multitude of courses on health, gender, and reproduction, and her research on postpartum depression and childbirth satisfaction has been published in scholarly psychology journals. Her TEDx Talk “The Good News About PMS” has had over one million views and has been translated into twenty-two languages.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Myth That Traps Us 1

1 Meet the Menstrual Monster and the PMSing Bitch 7

2 Only Flawed Research and Profit Back PMS 23

3 Keeping Women Down, Each and Every Month 43

4 The "Significantly" Impaired Preggo 53

5 A Pregnant Body Rules a Woman 65

6 The Media's Perfect Postpartum Storm 79

7 That's Not Me Crying, It Must Be the Baby 91

8 The Reputation of Menopause Precedes It 105

9 Aging Into One of the Happiest Times of Life 121

10 Be Afraid of the Menopausal Profit Monster 131

11 How Lies Persist and What We Lose by Believing Them 145

Conclusion: Protecting the Powerful Reality of Women 163

Acknowledgments 175

Appendix I Women's Hormones: An Overview 177

Appendix II Ways to Spot Junk Science 179

Notes 189

Index 221

Interviews

DeLuca resides in Setauket, NY.

Editorial Reviews

The Hormone Myth is a bracing, accurate breath of fresh air. It turns conventional wisdom about hormones on its head, and provides a far more liberating view of women’s health than what we’ve all been taught.”
—Christiane Northrup, MD, OB/GYN physician and author of the New York Times bestsellers Goddesses Never Age; Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom; and The Wisdom of Menopause


“This is a book for every woman who has ever been asked ‘Are you on the rag?’ after she voices an unpopular opinion or expresses an ‘unfeminine’ emotion. Read it, share it with your friends, and join the movement to bust the hormone myth once and for all.”
—Joan C. Chrisler, PhD, editor of Women’s Reproductive Health


“This eye-opening book covers female developmental milestones (e.g., menarche, pregnancy, menopause) where the ‘hormone myth’ is characterized by an excessive focus on biology over modifiable environmental factors, while ignoring empirical findings in favor of pseudoscience, sensationalism, scaremongering, and the fragilization of women. One chapter at a time, from Aristotle to Trump, the author weaves together historical, cultural, and economic developments that—intentionally or not—create and maintain this hormone myth. The author argues cogently that the eventual impact on women is a net negative: despite a few short-term social gains, these myths keep women feeling, and being perceived, as overly emotional and less suitable for competent leadership. This is a must-read for any person who wants to know what science can truly tell us about the relationship of hormones to women’s mental health, and how to help debunk entrenched societal myths that perpetuate gender inequities at home and work.”
—Jacqueline Pistorello, PhD, research faculty at Counseling Services at University of Nevada, Reno, and coauthor of Finding Life Beyond Trauma


“The Hormone Myth not only helps women recognize the cultural forces boxing them in, but provides the tools needed to be smart consumers of some of the scientific research that falsely insinuates they are ‘hormonal maniacs.’ DeLuca brings a fresh and engaging voice to the stubborn myth of women’s emotional instability.”
—Susan Pincus, MD, family physician

From the Publisher