Our Bodies Our Blog
Occasional posts examining the intersection between health, politics, and reproductive justice.
- 2058
A Call for Women Who Experience Pain with Sex and for Health Care Providers Who Treat Them
June 15, 2018
My name is Marta Milkowska and I am a graduate student at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. I am working on…
A Message About the Future of Our Bodies Ourselves
April 2, 2018
A letter from Our Bodies Ourselves Board Chair Bonnie Shepard, April 2018 Dear friends, I am writing to you – our longstanding…
Religion-Restricted Healthcare and its Effects on Reproductive Health Needs
March 20, 2018
In my last year of medical school, I began looking into residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology. My first interview of…
Faith, Not Contraception, at the Heart of Trump’s Family Planning Funding
February 28, 2018
Under the Trump administration, Title X — the federal family planning program — will prioritize funding for abstinence and faith-based family planning…
Safe and Supported: Inside the DIY Abortion Movement
February 5, 2018
As abortion becomes harder to access, more and more women are taking matters into their own hands with self-managed abortion—buying abortion pills…
What Have We Learned From the Survivors of Larry Nassar?
February 1, 2018
On January 24, Dr. Larry Nassar, the former women’s team doctor for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University, was sentenced to up…
Why One Montana County Wants A “Crackdown” On Pregnant Women
January 18, 2018
On January 11, 2018, the Big Horn County Attorney’s Office in Big Horn, Montana released a statement that launched 2018 straight into…
The Sad State of Sexual Health Education in Physician Training
January 12, 2018
As a primary care physician, people come to me with all sorts of questions about their sexual health: they want to…
Will This Black Mother’s Death Spark the Change We Need?
January 3, 2018
Earlier this year, Shalon Irving, a 36-year-old high ranking African American public health official at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), died…
Putting Health First: The Global Business of International Commercial Surrogacy
December 28, 2017
OBOS has long been known for calling attention to women’s health concerns that are overlooked due to financial profit, insensitivity, or simple…
December 6, 2017
There are many extraordinary people among us. In October, the Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum celebrated some of…
“Our Bodies, Ourselves” in Luganda: Changing the Course of Ugandan Women’s Health and Rights
November 27, 2017
I first met Diana Namumbejja Abwoye, now a nurse practitioner student at Boston’s Simmons College, in 2013. With her soft voice and…
Different Waves, Same Wavelength: Intergenerational Reflections on Feminism
November 22, 2017
My friend Norma is 85 years old. I am 23. On the day we first met, while working on the same OBOS…
#NoChoice: Stories of Abortion
November 21, 2017
“I can’t get the blood out of my husband’s blue silk shirt.” That’s what Lynne Hanley was told to say when she…
“Uber of Birth Control” in the Crosshairs of Anti-Abortion Activists
November 6, 2017
If you thought an app that delivers contraception to your door would barely register on the radar of anti-reproductive rights activists, you’d…
The Trump Administration’s Latest Plan To Dismantle Reproductive Rights
October 16, 2017
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a draft of its strategic plan for the next four years…
October 10, 2017
An earlier version of this article appeared on Biopolitical Times, the blog of the Center for Genetics and Society. There are few…
Let’s Talk About Sex–And Reproductive Justice
October 5, 2017
Thanks to the reproductive justice collective SisterSong and the group’s allies and partners, reproductive justice is a phrase and a concept well-known…
September 21, 2017
From widely accepted in vitro fertilization to recent (and more controversial) “three parent” babies, assisted reproductive technologies are rapidly evolving. Their advancement…
Preventing Sexual Assault on College Campuses: What Works?
September 8, 2017
Sexual assault continues to be a serious problem among young people age 18-24. According to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)…
How Safe and Effective Are Bioidentical Hormone Therapies?
August 31, 2017
The popularity of bioidenticals has surged over the past decade, particularly among women with safety concerns about hormone therapy (HT) during and…
