From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia.
Our Bodies, Ourselves is
the title of a book about women's
health and sexuality produced by
the
Boston Women's Health Book
Collective under the
supervision of
Betty Dodson. It contains
information related to many
aspects of women's health and
sexuality, including (but by no
means limited to)
menopause,
birth control,
reproduction,
sexual health,
sexual orientation,
gender identity,
mental health and general
well-being.
The book arose from the
feminist movement and could
still be said to reflect the
values of that movement. 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. Topics such as BDSM and
male-to-female and
female-to-male
transsexualism/transgenderism
are discussed in the most recent
edition and considered in a non-judgemental
manner, despite the controversy to
which they have been subject
within the feminist movement. The
writing style of the book tends
towards a familiar, inclusive
tone, with the authors referring
to women and themselves as a
collective group (e.g. "we
must take care of our
bodies", etc.)
Our Bodies, Ourselves
was first published in
1970 and is now in its 12th
edition.
Criticism
On
July 17,
2005,
New York Times
columnist Alexandra Jacobs
wrote a decidedly unflattering
review[1]
of the new edition of OBOS,
stating that she disliked the pink
cover, as well as the sharper
editing and new policies. The
editors of the book responded in
an
August 14
letter to the editor stating
they "appreciate[d] Jacobs's
nostalgia for earlier editions"[2],
but insisted they were merely "evolv[ing]
to stay relevant and accessible to
its readers."
References
- ^
New York Times review
- ^ OBOS
editor's response
