Evolution, the Female Body, and Why Gynecology is the True Triumph
I picked up the whopping volume EVE by Cat Bohannon curious to understand her scientific take on the evolutionary journey of women. Heavy - literally a tough one to flick through in the bath or bed - I worried it might be full of science jargon that I may not understand. EVE ended up being so much more than I expected—a readable, sweeping, funny, and enlightening tour through the complexity and triumph of the female body. And let me tell you, if you’ve ever questioned why our reproductive system feels more like a high-risk obstacle course than a smoothly functioning process, this book will explain why. Hint: the human body isn’t quite the polished marvel we like to think it is.
From the get-go, Bohannon sets the tone with a futuristic scene from Prometheus, where an AI surgical pod refuses to perform a life-saving C-section on an archaeologist because it’s “calibrated for male bodies only.” It’s an eerie reminder of how modern medicine (and much of scientific research) is still largely catered to men. This subtle but profound observation threads through the entire book as Bohannon challenges the male-centric perspective that’s shaped much of science, including how we study human bodies.
One of the most eye-opening revelations in EVE is how utterly central the female body is to our species’ evolutionary success. Our bodies drive reproduction and species survival, but the scientific narrative has often sidelined us. Bohannon flips this script entirely. She organizes her book into “Eves”—like the Eve of milk, the Eve of the placenta, and even the Eve of perception—focusing on specific evolutionary breakthroughs that make women the biological powerhouses we are. This structure is brilliant because it allows her to weave through complex subjects—from paleoanthropology to gynaecology—in an accessible, digestible, often funny, and always thought-provoking way.
Now let’s talk about one of my favorite subjects that Bohannon tackles: pregnancy. The human pregnancy process is nothing short of miraculous, but as Bohannon explains, it’s also an evolutionary hot mess (don’t I know this…). Our narrow pelvises (thanks, bipedalism) and oversized brains make childbirth uniquely dangerous compared to almost every other mammal. Bohannon stresses that gynecology—midwifery, C-sections, and the development of birth interventions—didn’t just happen; it had to happen for our species to survive. And let’s be real, having access to medical intervention is LIFE SAVING. I’ve experienced pregnancy loss (three miscarriages and subsequent complications requiring medical interventions), and reading Bohannon’s book made me feel like I wasn’t alone in the heartbreak or the biological struggle. The hard truth? Human reproduction is risky business, and when things go wrong, it’s not because we’re faulty or broken. It’s simply biology.
Bohannon’s take on miscarriage and pregnancy loss (she’s also lost babies) is one that I found particularly healing. She normalizes these experiences by explaining how precarious our reproductive system is. Unlike other mammals who can give birth without much risk, human pregnancy is fraught with complications—whether that’s a miscarriage, a breech baby, or the myriad of things that can go wrong during labor. The point I want to drive home here is that there’s nothing shameful in needing medical help to give birth or from losing a pregnancy. It’s all part of the biological dice we roll when we reproduce.
But the revelations don’t stop at pregnancy. Bohannon dives into topics like lactation, another underappreciated evolutionary feat. Did you know that breast milk is customized based on a baby’s saliva? Yup, our bodies register a baby’s needs and adapt the milk composition accordingly, sending specific bacteria-fighting agents to boost their immune system. Reading this, I had a newfound appreciation for the mind-boggling biology of feeding a child, which is good as I’m still a sleep-deprived lactating mumma at present. And as Bohannon points out, the intensity of this mother-baby collaboration is one of the reasons human babies are so developmentally fragile when they’re born. Our bodies work overtime to keep these little ones alive and healthy (don’t you think us mums should REALLY be paid to do this work!).
Bohannon also tackles the science of fat. While we’ve been conditioned to loathe fat—cue liposuction and endless diet fads—Bohannon reframes it as one of our most critical assets. Adipose tissue (yep, fat) stored in our lower bodies is essential for developing a baby’s brain. We store this fat starting in childhood, and guess what? If we liposuction it away, it comes back in odd places like our armpits, because evolution doesn’t mess around when it comes to protecting future offspring. This is just one of the many ways Bohannon shows how women’s bodies have evolved not only to reproduce but to nurture and sustain life in ways that have been historically misunderstood or overlooked by science.
What I love about EVE (every page, really) is how Bohannon traces these biological realities back to the social and political. She unpacks how modern societies often fail to understand or accommodate female bodies—whether through a healthcare system that prioritizes men’s needs, or cultural norms that undervalue women’s reproductive health. Bohannon even delves into how human population growth in ancient civilizations might be linked to wet-nursing. The use of wet nurses, she argues, helped increase birth rates by shortening the natural contraceptive effect of breastfeeding. Who knew that something as humble as wet-nursing could have helped shape the rise of cities?
And, of course, we can’t talk about EVE without mentioning Bohannon’s brilliant argument for gynecology as humanity’s greatest invention. It’s not the wheel or fire that got us here—it’s midwives, herbs, and women helping each other through the life-or-death process of childbirth. For all our large brains, complex social structures, and technological advancements, Bohannon reminds us that we might not be here at all if it weren’t for gynecology. As she says, midwifery is when we truly became human, and without the knowledge passed down through generations of women, our species’ survival would be questionable at best.
Bohannon’s book is a celebration of the female body, with all its quirks and miraculous complexities. It’s a much-needed reframe of how we understand evolution and biology—not as a male-centric story, but one where women and gynecology are the true heroes. And after reading EVE, I couldn’t help but feel both awed and vindicated. Awed by the sheer brilliance of our biology and vindicated in knowing that the struggles many of us face with pregnancy, childbirth, and reproductive health aren’t failures—they’re part of what makes us human.
If you want to laugh, learn, and come away with a deeper appreciation for the beautiful, messy, miraculous female body, get a copy of EVE. You’ll never look at your hips, your belly, or even your placenta the same way again. And you’ll definitely want to thank every midwife, doctor, and doula who has ever made birth a little bit safer for us all.
