“We are Experts on Our Own Lives”

Personal stories have always been an integral part of what makes Our Bodies Ourselves powerful.

Women and gender-expansive people are experts on our own lives. External, scientific information isn’t the only source of knowledge about our bodies, our sexuality, and our health. While we learn from professionals and experts, we also learn from what we live through. We gain valuable wisdom from what we experience, enjoy, suffer, and survive. And we all stand to benefit when we share that self-knowledge.

Stigmas thrive on silence and secrecy. Talking openly about our health and sexuality helps us to break out of isolation and shame. Shared accounts give us the power to make connections, to see patterns, and to expand the narrow definitions of what society considers “normal.” By listening to each other, we start to recognize how our individual health and sexuality are tied up with larger social justice issues as well. Even when we don’t have a name for what we are experiencing, we can come closer to understanding it by simply telling our story and listening to those of others.

Our Bodies Ourselves collects individual stories and group conversations in different formats. Some are written, while others are audio or video recordings. Some narrators choose to remain anonymous and others use their full names. Unsurprisingly, each of the narratives and dialogues touches on many interrelated aspects of sexuality and health. Our Bodies Ourselves includes short focused clips from the longer audio and video interviews, to make specific topics easier to find. However, many of the complete interviews are available here on the Our Bodies Ourselves YouTube channel.

We invite you to explore these powerful, diverse personal testimonies. You may find accounts that challenge your thinking, as well as experiences you recognize. Our Bodies Ourselves is grateful to all those who have entrusted us with their stories – and we hope you will consider sharing your story too.