Our Bodies, Ourselves 2011 EditionThe newly revised and updated edition focuses on women's reproductive health sexuality and includes dozens of personal stories and essential, up-to-date information about gender identity, sexual orientation, birth control, abortion, pregnancy and birth, perimenopause, menopause, health issues such as breast and ovarian cancers, and sexuality and sexual health as we age. The book also addresses:
  • Changes in the healthcare system -- especially how health care reform affects women and how to get the care you need.
  • Safer Sex -- how to engage in pleasurable, satisfying sexual experiences while protecting your health and the health of your partner.
  • Environmental health risks -- including minimizing exposure to everyday pollutants that endanger our bodies and reproductive health.
  • Body Image -- resisting negative media stereotypes and embracing healthier approaches to looking and feeling good.
  • Local and global activism -- using social media and community organizing tactics to build alliances and advocate for policies that improve women's lives.

For the first time ever, an entire chapter, Relationships, is based mainly on women's conversations. It is both an ode to OBOS's roots and a reflection of today's technologies: The chapter is a condensed version of a month-long, online dialogue involving more than three dozen women who asked and answered questions of each other with wisdom, encouragement and support.

Other firsts: The cover features headshots of readers who submitted their photos along with reflections on what they learned from "Our Bodies, Ourselves" over the years. (Read more on the story behind the cover.)

More than 300 women and men donated their time, expertise, and wisdom to ensure the book's accuracy and comprehensiveness. Alongside the "Our Bodies, Ourselves" editorial team, they collaborated to produce a text that provides evidence-based information and addresses the political, economic and social forces that shape women's health.

You can find out more about the new edition in our press room.