Elinor Cleghorn

"A trailblazing conversation-starting history of women's health-from Ancient Greece to hormones and autoimmune diseases-brought together in a fascinating sweeping narrative"--

Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World

Unwell Women

'We are taught that medicine is the art of solving our body's mysteries. And as a science, we expect medicine to uphold the principles of evidence and impartiality. We want our doctors to listen to us and care for us as people, but we also need their assessments of our pain and fevers, aches and exhaustion to be free of any prejudice about who we are, our gender, or the colour of our skin. But medicine carries the burden of its own troubling history. The history of medicine, of illness, is a history of people, of their bodies and their lives, not just physicians, surgeons, clinicians and researchers. And medical progress has always reflected the realities of a changing world, and the meanings of being human.' In Unwell Women Elinor Cleghorn unpacks the roots of the perpetual misunderstanding, mystification and misdiagnosis of women's bodies, and traces the journey from the 'wandering womb' of ancient Greece, the rise of witch trials in Medieval Europe, through the dawn of Hysteria, to modern day understandings of autoimmune diseases, the menopause and conditions like endometriosis. Packed with character studies of women who have suffered, challenged and rewritten medical orthodoxy - and drawing on her own experience of un-diagnosed Lupus disease - this is a ground-breaking and timely exposé of the medical world and woman's place within it.

A History of Medicine in a Man-Made World

Jemima Scott

Medicine has historically pathologised what it means to be a woman, and what it is to live in a female body, to such a degree that being unwell has been normalised in society and culture, while a woman's rights over her own body remain contested even today

Laura Mei

Jada

lala

The motivation that lays before reading this book is I was sick this month and had to go on multiple trips to the doctor. I slightly remember a point I read from a book (I think it was Mother of Invention), on how it's more difficult for women to go to seek medical help as their complaints usually are registered as hysteria or mental health problems. My expectation on reading this book is to be able to uncover the bias on the healthcare system, and this book delivered. This books starts from the ancient world to the present, starting from how women are only regarded for their reproductive organs and their subsequent health problems arises from their reproductive organs. What I admire from this book is that Cleghorn's tries to include as many women's activists efforts to improve healthcare system for women. In addition, Cleghorn's approach is intersectional, she manages to cover the motivation behind some movement, such as Sanger's eugenics approach in her effort on making birth control available for women. Being an unwell woman herself, the last chapter is devoted to her journey to getting a lupus diagnosis. This book is a well-researched and well-written book. Although a thought pops up in my head: Cleghorn focuses on the US and the UK, what about other countries, especially Asia? Are there any books on similar topic specifically on healthcare system in Asia, or one that is focuses on more racially diverse women? I know that Cleghorn may not cover all of it, I was just wondering.

A trailblazing, conversation-starting history of women’s health—from the earliest medical ideas about women’s illnesses to hormones and autoimmune diseases—brought together in a fascinating sweeping narrative. Elinor Cleghorn became an unwell woman ten years ago. She was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease after a long period of being told her symptoms were anything from psychosomatic to a possible pregnancy. As Elinor learned to live with her unpredictable disease she turned to history for answers, and found an enraging legacy of suffering, mystification, and misdiagnosis. In Unwell Women, Elinor Cleghorn traces the almost unbelievable history of how medicine has failed women by treating their bodies as alien and other, often to perilous effect. The result is an authoritative and groundbreaking exploration of the relationship between women and medical practice, from the "wandering womb" of Ancient Greece to the rise of witch trials across Europe, and from the dawn of hysteria as a catchall for difficult-to-diagnose disorders to the first forays into autoimmunity and the shifting understanding of hormones, menstruation, menopause, and conditions like endometriosis. Packed with character studies and case histories of women who have suffered, challenged, and rewritten medical orthodoxy—and the men who controlled their fate—this is a revolutionary examination of the relationship between women, illness, and medicine. With these case histories, Elinor pays homage to the women who suffered so strides could be made, and shows how being unwell has become normalized in society and culture, where women have long been distrusted as reliable narrators of their own bodies and pain. But the time for real change is long overdue: answers reside in the body, in the testimonies of unwell women—and their lives depend on medicine learning to listen.

Heavy trigger warning. DNF purely because the realities made me too sick to the stomach to bear.

It is well-written and seems well-researched; unfortunately I already knew a lot of the history so I didn’t have the sensation of revelation to soften the stark horror of the details, and so I couldn’t finish it properly.

I recognise my privilege of being able to turn away. I also recognise that I am honouring my own needs as part of the living legacy of unwell women.

I do recommend it as a history, it is (or seems, as far as I managed) concise and thorough. And I appreciate that it is out in the world, available to inform.

Riley

Heavy trigger warning. DNF purely because the realities made me too sick to the stomach to bear.

It is well-written and seems well-researched; unfortunately I already knew a lot of the history so I didn’t have the sensation of revelation to soften the stark horror of the details, and so I couldn’t finish it properly.

I recognise my privilege of being able to turn away. I also recognise that I am honouring my own needs as part of the living legacy of unwell women.

I do recommend it as a history, it is (or seems, as far as I managed) concise and thorough. And I appreciate that it is out in the world, available to inform.

jenn kause

As someone with a chronic illness, I was always curious about the history not only of my own disease but just how women were so often (and still today) disregarded with their health.

A lot of this book made me mad; certainly not the authors fault but ultimately the decisions of the past are just heart wrenching, terrible, and completely evil. Some were misguided, some didn’t have the technology, but a lot of them just didn’t care and were rooted in such strong misogyny. 

I loved the history aspect to this book and understanding the struggles it’s taken to get to where we are now. We have a LONG way to go, but one thing I get from this book is to always stand up for myself. A lot of these women in the past didn’t have anyone, and the least I can do for them and myself is fight.

Josefina

this was a very insightful and complete read that basically confirmed that people in female bodies just have never been taken seriously and that our pain is always diminished *to this day*

Rachel

Unwell Women tells the history of women's health and dives deep into the ridiculous crap women had to put up with for way too long and still have to battle to an extent today. Highly recommended, as someone with a chronic illness the last few chapters were a real eye-opener about the problems I had experienced trying to get a diagnosis and how in the future I need to advocate for my own health.

'Seamlessly melding scholarship with passion, Unwell Women is the definition of unputdownable' Telegraph'A richly detailed, wide-ranging and enraging history... Unwell Women is not just a compelling investigation, but an essential one' Observer'A passionate and indignant history' The Times'A searing, brilliant investigation, an intricate and urgent book on how women's health has constantly been misunderstood and miscast throughout history' Kate Williams'One of the most important books of our generation' Fern Riddell'UNWELL WOMEN is a powerful and fascinating book that takes an unsparing look at how women's bodies have been misunderstood and misdiagnosed for centuries.' Lindsey Fitzharris'We are taught that medicine is the art of solving our body's mysteries. And as a science, we expect medicine to uphold the principles of evidence and impartiality. We want our doctors to listen to us and care for us as people, but we also need their assessments of our pain and fevers, aches and exhaustion to be free of any prejudice about who we are, our gender, or the colour of our skin. But medicine carries the burden of its own troubling history. The history of medicine, of illness, is a history of people, of their bodies and their lives, not just physicians, surgeons, clinicians and researchers. And medical progress has always reflected the realities of a changing world, and the meanings of being human.'In Unwell Women Elinor Cleghorn unpacks the roots of the perpetual misunderstanding, mystification and misdiagnosis of women's bodies, and traces the journey from the 'wandering womb' of ancient Greece, the rise of witch trials in Medieval Europe, through the dawn of Hysteria, to modern day understandings of autoimmune diseases, the menopause and conditions like endometriosis. Packed with character studies of women who have suffered, challenged and rewritten medical orthodoxy - and drawing on her own experience of un-diagnosed Lupus disease - this is a ground-breaking and timely expose of the medical world and woman's place within it.

Unwell Women Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World

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