There was a recent review by CNN on the book, “Our Bodies Ourselves”.
The book, considered the definitive manual on women’s sexual health, is having it 40th anniversary (Boy is that going to make many of us feel old!).
The book first appeared in 1941 and tried to take a non-paternalistic, honest look at the questions women had about their bodies. Then it tried to answer them in a clear, straightforward manner. And they did! The response has been overwhelming and throughout its many reprints it has sold millions of books. I still recommend the book to women, and there is one edition that is meant for teenage girls that I often recommend to mothers.
Strikingly when the book first came out, it was blasted (what a surprise) as filthy trash and pornography. Doesn’t that make you think again about what’s being called filthy trash and pornography now? Anyhow, here’s the final quote from the on-line article. I think it’s great…and if you replace the word “personal health” with “sexual health,” it rings just as true!
CNN: What’s one thing you hope women take away from the book?
Norsigian: I would say that we can all make more intelligent decisions about personal health and medical care as well as the policies we want to see in our communities. The key is finding reliable sources of information that will guide those kinds of decisions.
