Our Bodies, Ourselves

''Our Bodies, Ourselves'' is a book about women's health and sexuality. Written by members of the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, it was initially self-published in 1970 as a booklet called ''Women and Their Bodies: A Course''. The first commercially published print edition came out in 1973 under the title ''Our Bodies, Ourselves: A Book by and for Women''. The book, often referred to by the initials ''OBOS'', was subsequently revised and expanded six times until the final print edition appeared in 2011.

The early editions were groundbreaking in the way they encouraged women to understand and celebrate their sexuality, with sections on reproductive rights, lesbianism, sexual independence, and masturbation. The book offered frank talk on topics such as birth control, pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum depression, venereal disease, menopause, and abortion. The emphasis in ''OBOS'' on women's engagement with their own sexual desires stood in contrast to traditional notions of women as "passive and docile" and men as "active and aggressive" in sexual relationships. The expanded later editions also covered topics such as reproductive justice, violence against women, gender identity, and environmental health.

''OBOS'' has been translated and adapted by women's groups around the world and is available in 34 languages. Combined sales for all editions exceed four million copies. ''The New York Times'' called it "America's best-selling book on all aspects of women's health" and a "feminist classic".

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