# Read the first page of Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 10th Anniversary Edition by Toni Weschler Read the opening of Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 10th Anniversary Edition by Toni Weschler free, no signup. A practical guide to fertility signs, cycle awareness, conception, and contraception. - Page: https://uncovered.ink/read/taking-charge-of-your-fertility-10th-anniversary-edition-toni-weschler - Genre: Reproductive health - Year: 1995 - ISBN: 9780062409911 - Read it blind (cover and title hidden): https://uncovered.ink/?b=9780062409911&s=read-page - Buy: https://bookshop.org/a/125786/9780062409911 - Borrow: https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=9780062409911 ## The opening Introduction I still cringe when I recall my college years and what ironically led me to pursue the field of fertility education. I can’t count the number of times I ran off to the gynecologist with what I thought was a vaginal infection. Most women will agree that no matter how many times they’ve had a pelvic exam, the experience is usually a drag and sometimes even traumatic. Yet I remember returning, seemingly every month, with the same apparent problem. As usual, I’d be sent home with an unsatisfying assurance that “there’s really nothing there.” So I would leave, feeling like a hypochondriac, only to meekly return when I had what appeared to be the signs of yet another infection. Along with my frustration at this recurring problem were the inevitable side effects of the various methods of birth control I tried. If I wasn’t dealing with weight gain and headaches caused by the pill, I was enduring urinary tract infections from the diaphragm or irritation from the sponge. Yet every time I asked the gynecologist for a natural, effective alternative to the dismal selection of birth control methods available, I was cynically informed that the only “natural” method was Rhythm, and everyone knew that that didn’t work. So back to Square One I would go, seeming to have infections all the time and without an acceptable method of birth control. It wasn’t until years later, when I took a class called Fertility Awareness, that I realized I was absolutely healthy all of that time. What I had been perceiving as infections was in fact normal cervical fluid, one of the healthy signs of fertility that all women experience as they approach ovulation. But since conversing about one’s vaginal secretions is hardly your typical topic of social chitchat, I had no idea that my experiences were normal, universal, and—perhaps most importantly—cyclical. Because of misleading and inadequate health education, women are rarely taught how to distinguish between normal signs of healthy cervical fluid produced every cycle and the signs of a vaginal infection. What are the consequences of such a basic omission in our upbringing and education? In addition to the unnecessary expense, inconvenience, and anxiety that women often experience, such ignorance can also lead to lowered self-esteem and confusion about sexuality. My negative gynecological experiences gradually led to an interest in women’s health that evolved into a real passion. It was that passion that ultimately compelled me to interview for a position as a health educator at a women’s clinic—a disastrous experience that in hindsight provided the final catalyst for my decision to pursue fertility education as a career. While I sat in the waiting room anticipating my interview with the clinic director, my eyes wandered, glancing over the all-too-familiar paraphernalia of all women’s clinics: posters warning against spreading sexually transmitted infections, charts comparing methods of birth control (with their inherent side effects and risks in tiny print), and plastic models of the female reproductive system. I remember being suddenly struck with the futility of my situation. Here I was, applying to be a health educator in a women’s clinic, with absolutely no training in the field. What was I thinking? While fidgeting, I noticed a brochure about classes on the Fertility Awareness Method that were available at the clinic. I could not believe that this supposedly reputable clinic seemed to be teaching the discredited Rhythm Method. I was in a dilemma. Should I risk losing this coveted position by expressing my dismay, or should I keep my mouth shut to get the job? In the end, I would have felt dishonest if I said nothing. My heart skipped a beat when the clinic director called my name. The pressure was on. The director was cordial, but I barely gave her a moment to introduce herself before I blurted out, “I don’t understand why you teach Rhythm here. Everybody knows it doesn’t work!” ## Books with a similar feel - [No Excuses! by Brian Tracy](https://uncovered.ink/read/no-excuses-brian-tracy.md) - [Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith](https://uncovered.ink/read/why-has-nobody-told-me-this-before-julie-smith.md) - [A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking](https://uncovered.ink/read/a-brief-history-of-time-stephen-hawking.md) - [The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-compound-effect-darren-hardy.md) - [You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero](https://uncovered.ink/read/you-are-a-badass-jen-sincero.md) - [Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://uncovered.ink/read/big-magic-elizabeth-gilbert.md) --- Source: Uncovered (https://uncovered.ink). A short sample shown for reading and discovery. Rights holders can request removal at https://uncovered.ink/takedown.