Response: Boston Women's Health Book Collective

After reading the short passage from the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, I was immediately hit with two strange feelings which I couldn't shake. I take much of the thing which were discussed for granted. Knowing my physiology, understanding my hormones, talking to other women about our bodies, etc. are all things which i have been lucky enough to have as the status quo. When reading this passage, I tried to place myself in the time before having access to this knowledge was the norm. Two things made me really think: the first, what it would feel like to be ashamed of my own body and its processes, and secondly, living in a time when speaking openly about ones body would be looked down upon.

It made me really sad to think about all the women who were unable to talk about their bodies and how they worked for fear of being ostracized. Even when dealing with menstruation, my friends and i have always been open. We all knew which one of us was the first to get it, who was the last, and we have always been there for each other as sounding boards and some one to vent to. Similarly, we were also there for each other if one of us needed to talk about sex and all that goes along with it. To imaging being in a time when such open discourse was not commonplace is very frightening. Through my many discussions with friends over the years I have learned infinitely more than any biology teacher or textbook has told me. I cant imagine growing up without them and their insights and advice.

Thinking of things in this manner make me feel very lucky to live in the era that i do. It also makes me that much more in awe of women, in this case of the 70s, who were able to break barriers and finally open up women's bodies as an area of discussion.