Navigating Perimenopause with Curiosity and Compassion
What Fresh Hell Is This? Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You
By Heather Corinna
Aging brings change—often in ways we don’t expect and aren’t prepared for. What Fresh Hell Is This? offers a candid, compassionate, and deeply validating exploration of perimenopause and menopause. Heather Corinna approaches this stage of life with honesty and humor, while grounding the conversation in accurate, inclusive, and affirming information.
Rather than framing perimenopause as something to endure or “fix,” this book invites readers to understand what’s happening in their bodies, question cultural myths about aging, and reconnect with themselves during a time that can feel disorienting or isolating.
Why it’s helpful:
Offers clear, accessible education about perimenopause and menopause
The book breaks down complex hormonal and bodily changes in a way that feels understandable rather than overwhelming.Centers validation over shame
Corinna challenges the silence and stigma surrounding aging bodies, reminding readers that confusion, frustration, and grief are reasonable responses to real change.Balances science with lived experience
Information is presented alongside stories and reflections that make the content feel human, not clinical.Inclusive and affirming
The book acknowledges that experiences of perimenopause and menopause are not limited to one gender identity, body type, or life path. Personal Note: This was consistent throughout the book and is makes it worth reading for all people who will age.About the Author: Heather Corinna
Heather Corinna is the founder and longtime executive director of Scarleteen, one of the most trusted and comprehensive online resources for inclusive, evidence-based sex and relationship education. For decades, Scarleteen has centered young people while remaining deeply relevant to adults, clinicians, and educators through its commitment to accuracy, inclusivity, and harm-reduction–informed care.
Corinna’s background in sex education, advocacy, and public health is evident throughout What Fresh Hell Is This?. Their writing reflects years of listening to people’s real questions about bodies, aging, hormones, and identity—especially those experiences that are often dismissed, minimized, or shrouded in shame. This foundation allows the book to balance humor, validation, and science in a way that feels both trustworthy and deeply human.
Knowing Corinna’s work at Scarleteen adds important context to the book: it helps explain why the information is accessible without being simplistic, inclusive without being vague, and compassionate without minimizing the very real challenges of perimenopause and menopause.
A Personal and Clinical Reflection
I read this book both for myself and for my clients. As I navigate changes in my own body with age, I’ve found how little we’re taught about perimenopause—and how quickly people are expected to normalize feeling disconnected from themselves.
Professionally, this book has helped me better support clients who are trying to make sense of mood shifts, changes in energy, anxiety, grief, or a sense of “something being off” without clear language for what’s happening. Personally, it reminded me that curiosity and compassion are essential when our bodies change, especially in a culture that often treats aging as something to fear or hide.
What Fresh Hell Is This? doesn’t offer a single roadmap—because there isn’t one. What it offers instead is language, validation, and a reminder that you are not imagining your experience and you are not alone.
Closing Thought
Understanding our bodies as they change is a form of self-respect and self-care. This book creates space for honesty, learning, and gentleness during a life stage that deserves far more care and conversation than it receives.