Originally published in the winter 1999 edition of journal of the american medical womens association. The boston womens health book collective now known as our bodies ourselves is a nonprofit organization founded in 1969. Apr 10, 2018 our bodies, ourselves has been consistently revised over the decades, with help from some 300 experts on health and contraceptive technology, according to stephanie ebbert of the boston globe. Feminist health guide our bodies, ourselves will stop. Preface to the 1973 edition of our bodies, ourselves the 1975 harvard conference on women and health the schlesinger library at radcliffe college maintains an extensive collection of records from boston womens health book collective, including minutes from meetings, letters from readers, discussions about health and politics, and drafts of manuscripts.
Boston womens health book collective author of our bodies. We asked 5 sexual health experts what made our bodies. Our bodies ourselves is a nonprofit education and advocacy organization focused on women s health. Our bodies, ourselves, a succession to a pamphlet of resources pulled from coops of women in and around boston, massachusetts, was published in new york in 1973 by simon and schuster. This article offers a brief history of our bodies, ourselves, the landmark book about womens health and sexuality first published in 1970, as well as the boston womens health book collective, its author and sponsor of numerous womens health initiatives. Our bodies, ourselves by the boston womens health book collective, claims to have served as a way for women, across ethnic, racial, religious and geographical boundaries, to start examining their health from a perspective that will bring about change. Our bodies, ourselves boston womens health book collective. Our bodies ourselves and the womens health movement in. Boston womens health book collective primary author only author division. We incorporated ourselves as the boston womens health book collective, pincus recalled. An early cover of the womens health book our bodies, ourselves, published by the boston womens health book collective.
The boston womens health book collective began in 1969 when a small group of women gathered after a workshop on women and their bodies at a bostonarea female liberation conference to talk about some crucial health issues and to confront a medical establishment viewed as paternalistic and condescending. In 1969, a small group of women in boston, frustrated by a lack of useful medical information, began to. A brief history and reflection by judy norsigian, vilunya diskin, paula doressworters, jane pincus, wendy sanford, and norma swenson. To supplement scant or unavailable information about womens health and medical issues, the group began writing articles on topics such as sexuality, birth control, abortion, pregnancy, and menopause, incorporating personal. Our bodies, ourselves, first published in 1969, helped change that situation. That group eventually became the boston womens health book collective. The boston womens health collective wrote our bodies, ourselves to. Although the earliest projects were located primarily in europe, we have. Our bodies, ourselves by boston womens health book.
Boston women s health book collective primary author only author division. This may ring true through most of the chapters in this text. The following year, it was republished regionally as the book our bodies, ourselves and sold 250,000 copies. In 1969, a small group of women in boston, frustrated by a lack of useful medical information, began to educate themselves and others about their bodies. In 1969, a group of women met and put together the first edition of our bodies. Write a chapter and change the world how the boston womens. The boston womens health collective, which published the landmark, our bodies, ourselves, is in danger of going out of business. Today, the boston women s health book collective still its official name states that it is a nonprofit, public interest women s health education, advocacy, and consulting organization. The core group of women who would later form the boston womens health book collective met in 1969, during a womens liberation conference in boston. Apr 22, 2018 we incorporated ourselves as the boston womens health book collective, pincus recalled. By the time i headed off to college in 1976, it was.
Apr 12, 2018 but after nearly 50 years, our bodies ourselves, the boston nonprofit home of the book, will stop publishing the pubescent tome amid a period of transition. Our bodies, ourselves, the revolutionary feminist health. The boston womens health book collective and our bodies, ourselves. Our bodies our selves donate to our bodies ourselves. Our bodies, ourselves is a book about womens health and sexuality produced by the nonprofit. The boston womens health book collective is an association of feminist women centered in boston, ma. The books authors were members of the boston womens health book collective, which began as a small feminist discussion group in the late 1960s. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. To supplement scant or unavailable information about womens health and medical issues, the group began writing articles on topics such as sexuality, birth control, abortion, pregnancy, and menopause, incorporating personal experiences with. Over the years, the founders group expanded to include women who started the nonprofit organizational founders and women who developed and ran the program work of the organization programmatic founders. Our bodies, ourselves has been consistently revised over the decades, with help from some 300 experts on health and contraceptive technology, according to stephanie ebbert of the boston globe.
Our bodies ourselves is a nonprofit education and advocacy organization focused on womens health. Boston womens health book collective is currently considered a single author. The boston womens health book collective, also known as the our bodies, ourselves collective, is a feminist group that created our bodies, ourselves. Oct 04, 2011 the boston womens health book collective now known as our bodies ourselves is a nonprofit organization founded in 1969 whose board members include teresa heinz kerry, susan love, and gloria steinem. Apr 10, 2020 dutch translation and adaption of our bodies, ourselves. Our changing sense of self, from our bodies, ourselves, the boston womens health book collective, new england free press, 1971. Boston women s health book collective is currently considered a single author. They formed what was originally known as the doctors grouplater it would be called the boston womens health collective where they. Our bodies ourselves, also known as the boston women s health book collective, is a nonprofit taxexempt 501c3 organization. Our bodies, ourselves, the guide that revolutionized womens. Dec 19, 2018 the boston women s health book collective began in 1969 when a small group of women gathered after a workshop on women and their bodies at a boston area female liberation conference to talk about some crucial health issues and to confront a medical establishment viewed as paternalistic and condescending. Boston womens health book collective livres amazon. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
The boston womens health book collective now known as our bodies ourselves is a nonprofit organization founded in 1969 whose board members include teresa heinz kerry, susan love, and gloria steinem. In 1972, the group of founding authors formally incorporated as the boston womens health book collective. The collective formed at the peak of the womens movement in boston. Apr 19, 2005 the boston womens health book collective now known as our bodies ourselves is a nonprofit organization founded in 1969 whose board members include teresa heinz kerry, susan love, and gloria steinem.
Our bodies, ourselves book by boston womens health book. Our bodies ourselves obos is a nonprofit, public interest organization that develops and. Our bodies, ourselves, the revolutionary feminist health book. Menopause provides an indepth look at subjects such as hormone therapy and sexuality as well as proven strategies for coping with challenges like hot flashes, mood swings, and night sweats. Publication date 1998 topics women, women, women publisher new york, n. The collective formed at the peak of the women s movement in boston.
Apr 28, 2005 the original book began in the spring of 1969, when a dozen women at a conference got together and compared doctor stories. There have been eight editions of our bodies, ourselves, as well as sequels. For a nonmedical textbook, our bodies, ourselves was and remains unusually frank about women s sexuality. In a workshop entitled control of our bodies, 1 they shared their frustration with condescending, judgmental, and uninformative doctors. I was getting mugged once and i just ended up talking to the guy for 20 minutes trying to make him laugh. Apr 08, 2018 the following year, it was republished regionally as the book our bodies, ourselves and sold 250,000 copies.
Our bodies, ourselves, the guide that revolutionized women. And at the end of it he was like, youre too nice of. When the boston womens health book collective first published our bodies, ourselves, it was a rare resource on everything from birth control to abortion, pregnancy to postpartum depression. Our bodies, ourselves taught women about sexuality and. Media about our bodies ourselves selected works by obos founders. Our bodies ourselves, also known as the boston womens health book collective, is a nonprofit taxexempt 501c3 organization.
Our bodies, ourselves by boston womens health book collective. That group eventually became the boston women s health book collective. Loretta ross, founder and the national coordinator of the sistersong women of. But feminist nonprofits, especially those founded during the movements second. In 1970, a group of women in the boston area selfpublished women and their bodies, a 193page booklet that dared to address sexuality and reproductive health, including abortion. Our bodies ourselves obos is a nonprofit, public interest organization that develops and promotes evidencebased information on girls and. The latest edition runs 752 pages and covers a stunning range of territory about womens physical beings. The boston women s health book collective, also known as the our bodies, ourselves collective, is a feminist group that created our bodies, ourselves. Our bodies ourselves, formerly known as the doctors group or the boston womens health book collective, was established in 1969 when 12 women experiencing sexism in womens medical care. Apr 11, 2018 put together by a group of women first known as the doctors group, then the boston womens health book collective and now our bodies ourselves, it was a revolutionary resource, thanks to its. We aim to combine womens personal stories with reliable, uptodate health information, while examining the social and political influences on womens health and wellbeing. Their mission is to empower women by providing information about health, sexuality, and reproduction. Second, this kind of learning meant that they were better prepared to.
The original book began in the spring of 1969, when a dozen women at a conference got together and compared doctor stories. Preface to the 1973 edition of our bodies, ourselves the 1975 harvard conference on women and health the schlesinger library at radcliffe college maintains an extensive collection of records from boston womens health book collective, including minutes from meetings, letters from readers, discussions about health and politics, and. In clear, accessible language, the book dispels menopause myths and provides crucial information that women can use to take control. Simon and schuster published the books first commercial edition in 1973.
Nov 26, 2019 our bodies ourselves, formerly known as the doctors group or the boston womens health book collective, was established in 1969 when 12 women experiencing sexism in womens medical care. The boston womens health book collective, also known as the our bodies. Our bodies, ourselves 1973, by the boston womens health book. May 04, 1970 our bodies, ourselves by the boston womens health book collective, claims to have served as a way for women, across ethnic, racial, religious and geographical boundaries, to start examining their health from a perspective that will bring about change. Why the womens sexual health book still matters orgasmic our bodies, ourselves was the first book to teach women about sex and birth control. Our bodies ourselves and the womens health movement in the. The boston womens health book collective is renowned for its grassroots global effort to advance the health and rights of women and girls. A year later, they changed the title to our bodies, ourselves and changed the women s health movement around the world. Home boston womens health book collective research. Our bodies, ourselves 1973, by the boston womens health. We aim to combine women s personal stories with reliable, uptodate health information, while examining the social and political influences on women s health and wellbeing. When i was invited recently to speak at the 20th anniversary celebration of the womens health department in vienna, austria, the email invitation noted, our bodies, ourselves has been so influential for the womens health movement and therefore also for the foundation of our department.
The boston womens health book collective and our bodies. Write a chapter and change the world how the boston. The discussions were so provocative and fulfilling that they formed the doctors group, the forerunner to the boston womens health book collective, to find out. Put together by a group of women first known as the doctors group, then the boston womens health book collective and now our bodies ourselves, it was a revolutionary resource, thanks to its. But after nearly 50 years, our bodies ourselves, the boston nonprofit home of the book, will stop publishing the pubescent tome amid a period of transition. Retitled from the original women and their bodies, our bodies, ourselves was an effort by a group of educated, middle class women to reinforce womens ownership of their bodies. Boston womens health book collective author of our.