Book Launch: HELLOFLO: The Guide, Period. by Naama Bloom

A bold and savvy new take on a body book, HELLOFLO: The Guide, Period., is The Care And Keeping Of You this generation needs.

Naama Bloom has a question: “Why do we talk about what happens to our bodies as though actual information is a tampon we need to quietly slip up our sleeves when we walk across the room?” Bloom, the founder of the women’s health site and period box subscription service HelloFlo.com, knows this has to change. When HelloFlo launched in 2015, their videos “Camp Gyno” and “First Moon Party,” went viral because of radically frank and unapologetic tone the girls in the videos use when talking about their periods. But, as anyone who was once a pre-teen girl knows, this is not radical at all. Girls are intelligent, bold, and capable of understanding much more than many adults assume. They don’t need to be sheltered; they need to be prepared and informed. There’s no doubt that going through puberty is one of the scariest, messiest, and most confusing times in a girl’s life, and it’s hard to know where they can go for reliable, fact-based straight talk, no pastel- colored sugar coating. Enter: HELLOFLO: The Guide, Period.

From the very first sentence (“There is no such thing as clean underwear.”) it is apparent that this smart and savvy guide is definitely not your mother’s puberty book. In chapters like “Beating Around the Bush” and “Shark Week,” Bloom lays out the facts, fuss-free—everything girls might want to know, from how to insert a tampon (illustrations included) to if swimming while menstruating attracts sharks (luckily, no). Bloom, who incorporates science, history, economics, and culture into her guide, takes care not to talk down to girls and assures them at every turn that what is “right” is different for everyone. In HELLOFLO: The Guide, Period, girls will find:

• CONTEXT: Colorful graphics on the history of body hair, breast shape, and sanitary products explain that while there are – and have always been – cultural trends and opinions on women’s bodies, girls should choose to do what they are most comfortable with (see pages 50-53).
• DIVERSITY: The inclusive illustrations and information in HELLOFLO: The Guide, Period, insure every girl can find herself, and her experiences, reflected in the book.
• FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: The book answers HelloFlo’s most common questions, from “Can I lose my virginity if I use a tampon?” to “Is vaginal discharge normal?” with wisdom and care.
• PROFESSIONAL HELP: Puberty affects every part of the body, so the book includes Doctor Q&As with a gynecologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, and a family therapist.
• SELF-CARE TIPS: Chapters on brain development, hormones, stress, and sisterhood address the rarely-talked- about part of growing up: emotional wellbeing.

Insightful, honest, funny, and unafraid of the messy real-life facts about a girl’s changing body, Bloom and HelloFlo strive to empower young women who are unafraid to ask questions and make the best choices for themselves and their bodies.

In a time where women’s health is currently up for discussion, it’s imperative to get books like HELLOFLO: The Guide, Period. – books that teach girls to be informed self-advocators – into the hands of young readers. Please let me know if you are considering coverage, or would like to speak to Naama Bloom.