What do fallopian tubes and a Catholic priest have in common?

A short update on women's health and The Vagina Business book tour

Dear friends,

I recently learnt that our fallopian tubes and a Catholic priest have something in common. What on Earth could that be, you say? Their name!

The fallopian tubes were named after Gabriele Falloppio, who was a Catholic priest and an anatomist in the 16th century—he “discovered” the tubes.

Names are telling. A few days ago, the gynaecologist and entrepreneur Dr Sujitha Selvarajah, published a brilliant review of The Vagina Business in The Lancet, the medical journal.

She describes a time she was performing a c-section and she asks the scrub nurse to pass her surgical instruments: “Littlewoods, please,” she says, “Spencer Wells.”

Every day, doctors use surgical instruments on female bodies—whether for a C-section or surgery to treat an ectopic pregnancy—that were named by and after men.

Not only do we live in a world where those instruments are named after dudes, but so are our body parts. (The pouch of Douglas and Bartholin’s glands are two more examples.)

Let’s say, we were to rename the fallopian tubes, what would be a good alternative? Ovarian tubes? Uterine tubes? Follicular tubes? What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

I was drafting this newsletter on the plane back from SXSW, so I asked an unsuspecting woman sitting next to me, Kristen, for her thoughts. She suggested: Melinda Gates tubes.

And by the way, one of my favourite facts about our Melinda Gates tubes? They are mobile! They are not attached to the ovaries but can move around and they have these finger-like structures (called fimbriae) at the top.

If one tube isn’t working, the other tube can actually move over to the opposite ovary and pick up an egg from there with its fingers. How magical is that!

I had the pleasure of speaking about The Vagina Business and doing a book signing at SXSW, which was a phenomenal experience. The books sold out at the conference shop!

My highlight? Meeting the people in my audience. Hands down. Thank you to everyone who came along to my talk! I’m so grateful for your questions, observations, and feedback.

Another standout moment was seeing Esther Perel live—I admire her so much. She reminded us that the quality of our lives depends on the quality of our relationships. I was so keen to see her that I turned up an hour early and left my stuff on a chair (like a German tourist with a towel at the hotel pool) to make sure I had a spot.

I also loved EchoVision, an immersive art installation by Jiabao Li. You wear a bat-shaped mask inside a dark room filled with hanging objects, and when you speak or shout, your voice creates these glowing pink lines to visualise how bats perceive their environment. Thomas Nagel would appreciate it.

After 7 weeks in the U.S., I’m back in London, and one of my next in-person talks is at NYU London (265 Strand, Holborn) on 1 April at 6pm.

As readers of this newsletter, I’d love to invite you to join me—you can sign up here. There will be drinks, canapés, and a book signing. If you have a friend who’d like to attend, please feel free forward them this invitation.

Three suggestions for your reading list:

1. At SXSW, one audience member asked me where I see double standards. One example? Advertising. From menopause and UTIs to menstrual cups, so much gets censored on social media. Read the latest report from the Center for Intimacy Justice.

2. Women suffer from migraines three times more than men, with longer and more intense episodes. This feature in Wired delves into the role hormones play—especially the drop of estrogen in the late luteal phase.

3. I noticed that the non-profit, Hormonally, has licensed the rights to publish this in-depth NYTimes article on menopause and HRT. People often ask me: HRT—good or bad? The answer: it depends (on your individual circumstances, health history, and risk factors)! This article provides a blow-by-blow account of what happened with the WHI study.

And finally, I continue to be amazed by the readers—that’s you!—this newsletter has attracted. You are an impressive group of entrepreneurs, thought leaders, investors, journalists, writers and I love sharing these musings and updates with you.

If you’ve enjoyed The Vagina Business, consider leading a review on Amazon, Audible or elsewhere—reviews help more people discover the book. Thank you!

Until next time,

Marina