This Day The Women's Health Vacuum (Some Sunday Context)
May 4, 2025
The podcast delves into the historical struggles for women's health information, highlighting the Boston Women's Health Book Collective's pivotal role in creating 'Our Bodies, Ourselves.' It critiques outdated medical attitudes and explores gaps in women's health awareness that still persist today. The discussion emphasizes the need for increased solidarity and education among women, reflecting on the empowering legacy of key feminist health resources. It also tackles the ongoing challenges in maintaining accurate health information amid today's misinformation age.
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Episode notes
1960s Women's Health Information Gap
- Women's health information was severely limited and paternalistic in the 1960s.
- Doctors often withheld info, doubted women's bodily expertise, and had scant understanding themselves.
Uterus Myth for Women Runners
- Women runners were falsely told running marathons could make their uterus fall out.
- This illustrates both paternalism and misinformation from doctors about women's health.
Power of Shared Women's Health Knowledge
- Women lacked solidarity and shared knowledge about their bodies before grassroots efforts like Our Bodies, Ourselves.
- The book empowered women by showing they're not alone and validating bodily experiences.
