Our Bodies Ourselves and Rebel Health

Susannah Fox, author of "Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care" (MIT Press) describes Our Bodies Ourselves as a book that sparked a revolution. She reflects on the history and legacy of the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, especially how they educated and empowered other women:

Our Bodies, Ourselves is an example of how people with lived experience can gather and share information, leveraging their skills as researchers, writers, illustrators, and designers to crack open societal norms about previously unmentionable topics. When their project was a smash hit, the Collective channeled the funds toward building a worldwide movement of empowerment and inclusivity.

In the lexicon of my book, Rebel Health, the Boston Women’s Health Collective were Networkers, Solvers, and Champions helping Seekers connect with the information they need to take care of themselves.

Fox spoke with Yasmeen Long, a member of the OBOS leadership council, who recalled viewing her mother's copy of the original "Women and Their Bodies" from 1970. Long emphasized: 

I was so fascinated with it, and strangely perplexed even as a kid, because I could see that even at such a young age that women were not being cared for without having to fight. Now we have all the tools in our toolbox to truly focus on the totality of women’s health including and beyond the reproductive system. I bring the patient perspective into rooms where it’s often missing—at the regulatory table, in the boardroom, and during innovation design – this is what is needed to truly move the needle forward to prioritize women’s health now and for the future.