Our Bodies, Ourselves

Did you know that this classic and ground-breaking book on women's sexuality and health celebrates its thirty-fifth birthday this year? A local nursing professor, Nancy Reame, was one of its original contributors. She continues to participate in revisions, the most recent of which came out this year to mark the anniversary.

From a 193-page, stapled course pack, the book has grown into a non-profit organization committed to "empower women with information about health, sexuality and reproduction."

Funny, but I have never seen a copy of the book, let alone read it. I think a girl in middle school had a copy and tried to tell us about it, but she was pretty peculiar in many ways and so lost any authority on what was and was not worthwhile reading.

Of course, if I had listened to her, I might not have spent my first 18 years of life thinking I urinated out the opening I later discovered was my vagina or, worse yet, fearing would have to birth through that tiny opening I was eventually relieved to learn was my urethra.

Lest I have other important misconceptions still in my head, I am going to take the excuse of the new edition (and, why not, Mother's Day), as an opportunity to finally read it.