Boston womens health book collective the gold standard for womens health books, in time for the fortieth anniversary of the book s first publication, featuring new material and a completely updated approach to critical womens health. It was then retitled our bodies, ourselves and published as a book by the new england free press in 1971. When the boston womens health book collective published a 75cent pamphlet in 1971, its message was in sync with the feminist zeitgeist. Their mission is to empower women by providing information about health, sexuality, and reproduction. A course was reprinted in 1971 under the name our bodies, our selves. Our bodies, ourselves taught women about sexuality and. Pregnancy and birth is an essential resource for women that will guide you through the many decisions ahead. Our bodies, ourselves, the revolutionary feminist health. Our bodies, ourselves by boston womens health book.
Feminist activists today should still look to our bodies. In the 1971 edition, the body was at once a new territory to be explored. Advancing health and human rights for women and girls, brings together womens health activists from 12 nations to join directors and founders, past and present, of the boston womens health book collective, also referred to as our bodies ourselves, which produced the original and revised our bodies. The book became an underground success and was soon republished under the name our bodies, ourselves. The books authors were members of the boston womens health book collective. Contemporary feminist activists should continue to look. The book includes firsthand narratives throughout which give voice to the facts and figures presented.
Our bodies, ourselves for the new century by boston women. Feminist activists should still look to our bodies, ourselves. Our bodies, ourselves is a book about womens health and sexuality produced by the nonprofit organization our bodies ourselves originally called the boston womens health book collective. 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. Since its first newsprint edition published in the early 1970s, our bodies, ourselves obos has enabled women to learn about their bodies, gain insight from the experiences. Ourselves and published as a book by the new england free press in 1971.
Pregnancy and birth boston womens health book collective, norsigian, judy on. In april 2018, the our bodies, ourselves collective, the group responsible for publishing the book of the same name, decided to stop offering new editions of its groundbreaking text. Cover of the 1971 edition of our bodies, our selves. Since it was first published in the early 1970s, our bodies, ourselves has. In 1971, they changed the title to our bodies, ourselves to emphasize women taking full ownership of their bodies. Author bio 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.
At first calling themselves the doctors group, in 1970 they published their collected papers as a 193page course booklet, women and their bodies. In 1971, women and their bodies was republished as our bodies, ourselves by new england free press. The trusted editors of our bodies, ourselves, called a feminist classic by the new york times, present a comprehensive guide to pregnancy and childbirth, from prenatal care and emotional wellbeing to how to handle the pain of childbirth. Pregnancy and birth are as ordinary and extraordinary as breathing, thinking, or loving. Menopause was published in 2006, and our bodies, ourselves. Norsigian, judy and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. First published in the late 1960s, it contains information related. First published in 1971, it contains information related to many aspects of womens health and sexuality, including sexual health, sexual orientation. Write a chapter and change the world how the boston. The higher levels produced when women are younger allow for ovulation and the possibility of pregnancy. Click here to view a pdf version of the original women and their bodies.
Republished by new england free press, the book puts womens health in a radically new political and social context and quickly becomes an underground success. Together with its companion website, ourbodiesourselves. I had a copy of it way back in the 70s and learned a great deal from reading it. A course from 1970 digitized by the boston womens health book collective. A mongolian version is in the works and, now, html. The original edition of 1970s nowclassic our bodies, ourselves has sold more than three million copies, and the revised and expanded edition will likely prove equally popular among women of all ages. In 1971, the first our bodies, ourselves book sold 250,000 copies at the time, fewer than 10% of doctors were women, and many topics were taboo time magazine named our bodies, ourselves. Our bodies ourselves the classic written by women for. A and for women boston womens health book collective on. This may ring true through most of the chapters in this text. The original edition of 1970s nowclassic our bodies, ourselves has sold more than three million copies, and the revised and expanded edition will. Managing managed care and the insurance industry questioning breast cancer treatment. The boston womens health collective wrote our bodies, ourselves to.
This new focus encompasses such controversial issues as. Our bodies, ourselves, the guide that revolutionized women. First called women and their bodies, in 1971, the group changed the book s title to our bodies, ourselves. 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. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The book quickly became an underground success, selling 230,000 copies, mainly by wordofmouth. Boston womens health book collective our bodies, ourselves. First published in 1971, it contains information related to many aspects of womens health and sexuality, including menopause, birth control, childbirth, sexual health, sexual orientation, gender identity. Our bodies, ourselves, american book on womens health, first published in 1970. In the same style of our bodies, ourselves, this book offers clear and detailed information on the range of options for prenatal care, birth preparation, and interventions during labor and delivery. Our bodies, ourselves book by boston womens health book.
The group of founders formally incorporates as the boston womens health book collective in order to. We are delighted to present our bodies, ourselves an indepth look at womens sexuality and reproductive health, from the first gynecological exam to sexual health in our later years. The work, priced at 40 cents, quickly sold 250,000 copies. Updated every four to six years, the collective published the ninth and. But the cambridge womens health collective that wrote the groundbreaking book, which has sold more than 4 million copies in the united states since its first publication in 1971, is now at risk of. This is the best book to help young and older women with the ins and outs about our bodies.
The small imprint, however, was unable to keep up with demand, and two years later the first commercial edition of the book, which had been expanded. The authors exhort women to learn about pregnancy, childbirth, and. But as soon as you announce youre expecting, you may be. Our bodies, ourselves for the new century is the first major revision of this classic since 1984 and reflects the major changes that have occurred in every area of womens health. 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, and.
We aim to combine womens personal stories with reliable, uptodate health information, while examining the social and political influences on womens health and wellbeing. 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. Pregnancy and birth by boston womens health book collective. It also includes a new chapter on infertility and pregnancy loss and. It is still the definitive consumer health reference of all women. Boston womens health book collective author of our. Our bodies, ourselves, the revolutionary feminist health book. Their mission is to empower women by providing information about.
Our bodies, our selves 1971 to emphasize women taking full ownership of their bodies, the founders change the book s title to our bodies, our selves. While the book has a new cover, it has the same text as the 1970 print. About our bodies ourselves 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 1973, by the boston womens health. In this third spinoff of our bodies, ourselves, the selfdescribed womens health bible first published in the 1970s, the boston womens health book collective focuses on pregnancy, birth and recovery. Since then, the book has been translated into 31 languages and sold 4 million copies. In 1971 the boston womens health collective published its first book, our bodies, ourselves, and thus the field of feminist health care was born.
Since its first newsprint edition published in the early 1970s, our bodies, ourselves obos has enabled women to learn about their bodies, gain insight from the. 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 is a book about womens health and sexuality produced by the nonprofit organization our bodies ourselves. The revolutionary womens health book, originally published in 1970, has been translated into 32 languages.
Our bodies, ourselves introduction we are delighted to present our bodies, ourselves an indepth look at womens sexuality and reproductive health, from the first gynecological exam to sexual health in our later years. Our bodies, ourselves celebrates 40 years bu today. Group behind landmark book for women struggles to survive. Our bodies, ourselves has been remarkably successful. Ourselves, growing older began as one chapter of that original work. Instructions and encouragement came from our bodies, ourselves, a slim, stapled paperback that sold for 30 cents in 1971.
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