It is time to take charge of your health. Here is what it takes: Knowing the basics - Your medical history is something that you have to know inside and out, and if you don't, then no matter the state of your current health, make it your business to find out as much about it as you can. Developing the ability to ask questions - Never go to a doctor's appointment without a list of questions. Your questions will give your doctor a different opinion of you, and so will help lead to a better outcome. Taking initiative - If you feel symptoms, get them checked out. The longer you wait, the more damage may be occurring. It's your body, so you must be proactive about taking care of it. Don't be embarrassed - It's your body, and you're the one who is going to suffer if you don't speak up, so rather than be ashamed of your body and your sexuality, when you're at the gynecologist's, be willing to reveal all. Don't be afraid of change - If you and your doctor, be it a gynecologist or any other type of doctor, don't seem to be working well together, then go for a second opinion. Contents Introduction 1. Filling in the Gaps: Your Complete Medical and Genetic History 2. Getting the Most Out Of Your Visit to the Gynecologist: What to Expect and What to Ask 3. Everything You Wanted to Know about Your Vagina, but Were Too Afraid to Ask: Vaginal Self Examination, Discharge, and When to See a Doctor 4. All About Your Monthly Cycle: Cramps, Ovulation, Perimenopause, and Menopause 5. How to Have a Happy, Healthy Sex Life 6. STDs: How to Protect Yourself, Getting Tested, and What to Do If It Happens to You 7. Avoiding Pregnancy: Birth Control, Natural Methods, and Surgery 8. Planning for Pregnancy: Fertility, Infertility, and Nutrition 9. A Healthy Pregnancy: The Trimesters, Giving Birth, and Post Partum 10. What Can Go Wrong: PCOS, Fibroids, and Ovarian Cancer

Dr. Ruth Westheimer is a beloved global celebrity—she has been the most visible sex therapist in the world for more than thirty years. Dr. Ruth has taught at Yale, Princeton, and NYU. She is a bestselling author whose wisdom and wit have been showcased on radio and television and in more than thirty-five books, including Sex For Dummies and Dr. Ruth's Top 10 Secrets for Great Sex.

Dr. Amos Grunebaum is one of New York's leading obstetricians and gynecologists. He is an Associate Professor of Clinical Ob/Gyn at the Weill Cornell Medical College as well as the Director of Obstetrics and the Chief of Labor & Delivery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.

Pierre Lehu is a writer and publicist who has been working with Dr. Ruth for three decades.