1969 Twelve women meet during a women’s liberation conference in Boston. At a workshop on “women and their bodies,” they talk about their own experiences with doctors and share their knowledge about their bodies. The discussions at the conference are so provocative and fulfilling that the following summer, each woman researches a health topic close to her heart. They decide to put their knowledge into an accessible form that can be shared with others and that can serve as a model for women who want to learn about themselves, communicate their findings with doctors, and challenge the medical establishment to change and improve the care that women receive.
1970 A 193-page course booklet on stapled newsprint entitled Women and Their Bodies is published by New England Free Press.
1971 The authors change the name of the book to Our Bodies, Ourselves, to emphasize women taking full ownership of our bodies. Republished by New England Free Press, the book puts women’s health in a radically new political and social context and quickly becomes an underground success. It sells 250,000 copies, mainly by word-of-mouth.
1973 Simon & Schuster publishes the first commercial edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves.
I found an original copy of this MUCH needed book at a book sale yesterday for twenty-five cents. Since I can’t sleep, I decided to read this last night. WHAT AN AMAZING BOOK. It speaks to us NOW. I think it’s UNREAL that this is true. HOWEVER, the words in the book gave me a glimmer of HOPE. Women need to unite they need to help each other. Especially now with attacks from all sides and threats to our healthcare, our lives, lifestyles and our safety. This book covers every aspect of a women’s life and a guide. I know it has been updated several times. But sitting here with the original version, for me is helpful. They had nothing, we’re trying to keep what they fought so hard for. Unite WOMEN. Together anything is possible. Women just for the sheer fact they are women should be banding together, let nothing keep us apart. UNITE!! More power in numbers.
PEACE.
