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Our Bodies, Ourselves

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Cover of the 2011 edition of Our Bodies, OurselvesCite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).

Our Bodies, Ourselves is a book about women's health and sexuality produced by the nonprofit organization Our Bodies Ourselves (originally called the Boston Women's Health Book Collective). First published in 1971, it contains information related to many aspects of women's health and sexuality, including sexual health, sexual orientation, gender identity, birth control, abortion, pregnancy and childbirth, violence and abuse, and menopause. The most recent edition of the book was published in 2011. This informational book about women’s health advised women to claim their sexuality for their own pleasure, and included chapters about reproductive health and rights, lesbian sexuality, and independence. This was revolutionary because the move toward women’s active engagement with their actual sexual desires was contradicting the popular gendered myth of [1] “women as docile, and passive,” and “men as active and aggressive” in a sexual relationship.

The book has been translated and adapted by women's groups around the world and is available in 29 languages. Sales for all the books exceed four million copies.[2] The New York Times has called the seminal book "America's best-selling book on all aspects of women's health" and a "feminist classic".[3]

The organization has also created two single-topic books. Our Bodies, Ourselves: Menopause was published in 2006,[4] and Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth in 2008.[5] The Boston Women's Health Book Collective earlier produced Changing Bodies, Changing Lives: A Book For Teens on Sex and Relationships[6] and The New Ourselves, Growing Older: Women Aging with Knowledge and Power.[7]

1 History
2 Boston Women's Health Book Collective
3 Style
4 Chapter Topics in the 2011 Edition
4.1 Bodies and Identities
4.2 Relationships and Sexuality
4.3 Sexual Health and Reproductive Choices
4.4 Child-Bearing
4.5 Post-Reproductive Years
4.6 Medical Problems and Navigating the Health-care System
4.7 Major Forces Affecting Women's Sexuality and Reproductive Health
5 Documentary
6 See also
7 References
8 Further reading

History[edit]

The book arose out of a 35-cent, 136-page booklet called Women and Their Bodies, published in 1970 by the New England Free Press, and written by twelve Boston feminist activists.

Prior to the creation of Our Bodies, Ourselves, women's rights over their own bodies were extremely limited. Through every step of the education process, medicine was completely androcentric. This meant that what was taught, how it was taught, the bodies being examined, and those teaching was all male-centered. This greatly influenced what information was learned and what became prioritized. This lead to women’s health, anatomy, and issues being forgotten about and researched much less than male’s. Scientific research has historically been extremely gendered and consistently excluded women from clinical trials [14]. Because males and their health and bodies were the decided norm, women and their health fell second [12]. For the early half of the 1900s, women had to go to male doctors for any appointments or health concerns they may have [13]. This led to women not having full knowledge and awareness of their own bodies and the various processes they may be going through. In addition to this, women began to feel like it was not their place to ask further questions about their health and the various medicine or procedures prescribed to them.

The booklet was originally intended as the basis for a women's health course, the first to be written for women by women. The health seminar that inspired the booklet was organized in 1969 by Nancy Miriam Hawley at Boston's Emmanuel College. "We weren't encouraged to ask questions, but to depend on the so-called experts," Hawley told Women's eNews. "Not having a say in our own health care frustrated and angered us. We didn't have the information we needed, so we decided to find it on our own."[8] As a result of this goal, the book contained information intended to guide women on "how to maneuver the American health care system, with subsections called 'The Power and Role of Male Doctors,' 'The Profit Motive in Health Care,'" 'Women as Health Care Workers,' and 'Hospitals.'[9]

This lack of self-awareness eventually resulted in a surge in the women’s movement to take back ownership of their health. In 1969, a women’s liberation conference was held in Boston. Here each woman was able to share their own individual “doctor story” and it was uncovered that feelings of frustration and anger were shared between all the women [15]. This was one of the first times that women were gathering together and were able to hear and learn from each other, without any male influence. Through this process they were able to realize the differences that exist between each other and more importantly learn how the female body differs from a males [15].

The original writers of the book stated four main reasons for creating it. First, that personal experiences provide a valuable way to understand one's own body beyond the mere facts that experts can provide, creating an empowering learning experience. Second, this kind of learning meant that they were "better prepared to evaluate that institutions that are supposed to meet our health needs . . .". Third, the historical lack of self-knowledge about the female body "had had one major consequence - pregnancy" and through greater information, women will have more ability to make proactive choices about when to get pregnant. Fourth, information about one's body is perhaps the most essential kind of education, because "bodies are the physical bases from which we move out into the world". Without this basic information, women are alienated from their own body and necessarily on unequal footing with men.[9]

As a result of their success, the women formed the non-profit Boston Women's Health Book Collective (which now goes by the name Our Bodies Ourselves) and published the first 276-page Our Bodies, Ourselves in 1973. The collective published it with the major publisher Simon & Schuster only on the condition that they would have complete editorial control and that nonprofit health centers could purchase copies at a significant discount.[10] It featured first-person stories from women, and tackled many topics then regarded as taboo. Since then, over four million copies have been sold. Simon & Schuster remains the current publisher. The women researched and wrote up the information themselves. Wendy Sanford wrote about abortion, Jane Pincus and Ruth Bell about pregnancy, and Paula Doress and Esther Rome about postpartum depression. The booklet sold 250,000 copies in New England without any formal advertising.[8] This booklet acts as a living document and has been edited and added to since its creation. Its most recent addition was in 2011 and encompasses topics that are relevant to today's Women's Health Movement. [16]

Style[edit]

The first book was a product of the feminist movement and could still be said to reflect its values. The personal experiences of women are taken into account and are quoted throughout, while the social and political context of women's health informs the content of the book. The book emphasis empowerment through information and learning, specifically, information gained through women sharing their personal narratives with each other, for "by sharing our responses we can develop a base on which to be critical of what the experts tell us".[11]

Topics such as male-to-female and female-to-male transsexualism/transgenderism are discussed in the most recent edition and considered in a nonjudgmental manner, despite the controversy to which they have been subject within the feminist movement. The writing style of the book tends toward a familiar, inclusive tone, with the authors referring to women and themselves as a collective group.

"Boston Women's Health Book Collective[edit]"

The Boston Women's Health Book Collective is a feminist group who created Our Bodies, Ourselves, a book that presents information to women regarding their bodies so that they can be informed and empowered by the knowledge they receive about their bodies. The collective was created in May 1969, first addressing courses about women's bodies. The collective formed at the peak of the women's movement in Boston.

Twelve women all between the ages of 23 to 39 first attended a workshop entitled "Women and Their Bodies" which allowed the women to discuss together the issues they have surrounding their health. The discussion created a consciousness raising environment, providing each woman with information that they all deal with when handling issues about their bodies. The strong discussion supplied the women with the necessary tools and ideas that lead to the creation of their book that addressed issues surrounding sexuality and reproductive health. They put their knowledge into an accessible format that served as a model for women who wanted to learn about themselves, communicate with doctors, and challenge the medical establishment to change and improve the health of women everywhere. The discussions provided the 12 members: Ruth Davidson, Bell Alexander, Pamela Berger, Vilunya Diskin, Joan Ditzion, Paula Doress-Worters, Nancy Miriam Hawley, Elizabeth MacMahon-Herrera, Pamela Morgan, Judy Norsigian, Jane Kates Pincus, Esther Rome, Wendy Sanford, Norma Swenson, Sally Whelan; the knowledge needed to provide them with the skills to address reproductive freedom. Together the 12 women addressed issues of reproductive justice.

Reproductive justice was at the forefront during the women's liberation, causing much debate over the biological rights of women. The Equal Rights Amendment had a section specifically targeting the important issues about reproductive justice that combines multiple reproductive rights and issues surrounding family. The strategy of the reproductive justice plank was to establish the necessary rights and access for women to gain control over their bodies. Through the passing of this legislation, woman would be granted the ability to have abortions, obtain access to birth control, and gain full control over their bodies.

The Boston Collective focused on these ideas to allow women the ability to understand their bodies and themselves as women. During the National Women's Conference, women from all over the country deliberated to determine the exact laws that should be put into place for women's reproductive justice. The Boston Collective work together to teach courses and create books that provide knowledge from women not only in Boston, but women across the nation. These women use their skills and knowledge to provide many women with knowledge about their lives through rhetoric that avoids describing the female reproductive system as passive, unproductive, helpless, or powerless.

Backlash[edit]

When Our Bodies, Ourselves first was written and going through the process of trying to be published, it experienced some negative backlash. The major critiques were rooted in religion. Most of the opposition came from churches and other religious groups, specifically Catholic churches. The debate over abortion and whether or not it should be a right for all women was the main cause for conflict. There was a section of the book that was dedicated to discussing abortion and how the different aspects of abortion could influence women's health. For religious groups, abortion is seen as completely wrong and immoral. Because of this massive disagreement, religious groups demand that the book be banned. The women who organized Our Bodies, Ourselves looked to countries in Latin America to publish the book, but because of their Catholic roots, they refused to publish it due to the section on abortion. Although the group of women behind this book experienced this backlash, it did not stop them from pursuing publication until they achieved it.

Impact & Influence[edit]

Our Bodies, Ourselves had both immediate and lasting impacts. This collective effort and collaborative booklet illustrated that women were capable of coming together. It also showed that if women decided to come together and discuss the issues they were facing on a daily basis, their voices would be heard, acknowledged, and used. By coming together in such a way, these women took back their health and the ownership of their bodies, as opposed to allowing the androcentric system to continue. Our Bodies, Ourselves brought to light the anatomical differences between men and women, which is information still used today. Another key piece of information the women found in their research was that there are specific differences in the symptoms between men and women for health issues like heart attacks [15]. This information has allowed for further research, which has ultimately led to improvements in medicine and treatment for women. The findings of these women also led to an expansion in birth control and more awareness to reproductive health; it added to the spark to the women's movement. Overall, this booklet is a living document, that is continuously added to as additional and new findings are discovered or expanded upon which creates the space for its influence to be ongoing.

Our Bodies, Ourselves proved that women, acting as informed health consumers, can be catalysts for social change. It also showed that women are capable of taking back ownership of their bodies and become their own health experts, while also discussing these issues with fellow women in a constructive manner. Our Bodies, Ourselves also introduced the concept that a pathology/disease approach to normal life events - birthing, menopause, aging, death - is not an effective way in which to consider health or structure a health system [18]. This booklet also showed that health consumes are entitled to "know about controversies surrounding medical practices and about where consensus among medical experts may be forming" [18].

On a global scale, Our Bodies, Ourselves has crossed borders and reached woman across the globe. The booklet continues to inform women who are denied sex education in their countries or from their current system. As of Fall 2016, Our Bodies, Ourselves has been adapted into 30 different languages and now has active global projects in 22 countries [19]. There are twelve projects that have been archived as well. This booklet has been able to influence the lives of millions of women in a positive way.

"Chapter Topics in the 2011 Edition[edit]" Bodies and Identities[edit] Our Female Bodies: Sexual Anatomy, Reproduction and the Menstrual Cycle Intro to Sexual Health Body Image Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Relationships and Sexuality[edit] Relationships Social Influences on Sexuality Sexual Pleasure and Enthusiastic Consent Sexual Challenges Sexual Health and Reproductive Choices[edit] Birth Control Safer Sex Sexually Transmitted Infections Unexpected Pregnancy Abortion Child-Bearing[edit] Considering Parenting Pregnancy and Preparing for Birth Labor and Birth The Early Months of Parenting Miscarriage, Stillbirth and other Losses Infertility and Assisted Reproductive Technologies Post-Reproductive Years[edit] Perimenopause and Menopause Our Later Years Medical Problems and Navigating the Health-care System[edit] Selected Medical Problems Navigating the Health Care System Major Forces Affecting Women's Sexuality and Reproductive Health[edit] Violence Against Women Environmental Health Politics of Women’s Health Activism in the 21st century Documentary[edit] The collective of women who initiated Our Bodies, Ourselves are part of the documentary She's Beautiful When She's Angry, about the founders of the modern women's movement (from 1966 to 1971).

References[edit]

Jump up ^ Feminist Theory Reader

Jump up ^ Judy Norsigian, Vilunya Diskin, Paula Doress-Worters, Jane Pincus, Wendy Sanford, and Norma Swenson. "BWHBC and 'Our Bodies, Ourselves': A Brief History and Reflection. Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association, Winter 1999.

Jump up ^ Back cover.

Jump up ^ The Boston Women's Health Book Collective; Pinn, Vivian (2006). Our bodies, ourselves : menopause. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780743274876.

Jump up ^ the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, ed. (2008). Our bodies, ourselves : pregnancy and birth (1st Touchstone trade pbk. ed.). New York: Touchstone Book/Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780743274869.

Jump up ^ Bell, Ruth (1998). Changing bodies, changing lives : a book for teens on sex and relationships (Expanded 3rd ed.). New York: Times Books. ISBN 9780812929904.

Jump up ^ Paula B. Doress-Worters, Diana Laskin Siegal Perkis, in cooperation with the Boston Women's Health Book Collective (1994). The new ourselves, growing older : women aging with knowledge and power. Roselaine (illustrator). New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780671872977.

^ Jump up to: a b Ginty, Molly M. (May 4, 2004). "Our Bodies, Ourselves Turns 35 Today". Womens eNews. Retrieved August 26, 2012.

^ Jump up to: a b Schneir, Miriam. "Boston Women's Health Book Collective." Feminism in Our Time: The Essential Writings, World War II to the Present. New York: Vintage, 1994. 352. Print.

Jump up ^ Schneir, Miriam. "Boston Women's Health Book Collective." Feminism in Our Time: The Essential Writings, World War II to the Present. New York: Vintage, 1994. 352. Print.

Jump up ^ Schneir, Miriam. "Boston Women's Health Book Collective." Feminism in Our Time: The Essential Writings, World War II to the Present. New York: Vintage, 1994. 357. Print.

Jump up ^ Schiebinger, Longda. "Has Feminism Changed Science?" Biology, pgs 145-158. (1999).

Jump up ^ Schiebinger, Longda. "Has Feminism Changed Science?" Biology, pgs 108-113. (1999).

Jump up ^ Bueter, A. Topoi (2015). doi:10.1007/s11245-015-9339-y

Jump up ^ Our Bodies, Ourselves Homepage, http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/history/impact-and-influence/bwhbc-and-our-bodies-ourselves-a-brief-history-and-reflection/

Jump up ^ Our Bodies, Ourselves Timeline, http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/history/obos-timeline-1969-present/

Jump up ^ Our Bodies, Ourselves Impact and Influence, http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/history/impact-and-influence/

Jump up ^ Our Bodies, Ourselves Women's Health Movement, http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/history/womens-health-movement/

Jump up ^ Our Bodies, Ourselves Global Projects http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/global-projects/

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Our Bodies, Ourselves

Contents

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]