"Our bodies ourselves" author to discuss media and women's health

Judy Norsigian

Women’s health pioneer Judy Norsigian will speak on the media’s impact on women’s health, during a lunchtime talk on Tuesday, June 5.

The event is being hosted by the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health and the Center for Gender Equity and is open to the public at no charge.

A founding member of the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective in the 1960s, Norsigian has dedicated her career to educating women about their own bodies and their health. She was instrumental in publishing the groundbreaking health reference book, “Our Bodies Ourselves,” which was the first consumer resource to offer women expert medical advice alongside peer insights, in an accessible manner.

The book has sold nearly 4 million copies since its first publication in 1970 and has been translated into 18 languages and braille. The collective published its eighth edition in 2005.

The event will take place from noon to 1 p.m. at Herbst Hall, located on the second floor of the UCSF Mount Zion Medical Center, 1600 Divisadero Street, in San Francisco. The program will feature a short lecture by Norsigian, followed by an informal question-and-answer session with the audience.

Guests are encouraged to register by calling (415) 353-2668. The question-and-answer session will be held in Ida’s Café, first floor, Center of Excellence, 2356 Sutter Street.

“Judy Norsigian and the Boston Women’s Health collective have been at the forefront of the movement to teach women about their bodies for nearly four decades,” said Nancy Milliken, MD, director of the UCSF Center of Excellence in Women’s Health. “Our Center is based on the same premise, that by educating women about healthcare, we are reaching every member of her family and the community as a whole.”

The UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health is a nationally recognized center that integrates all phases of women’s health and reproductive services, while advancing research in women’s health issues, transforming health and improving lives. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Center holds the core tenet that by educating women and girls about their health, it can dramatically influence the health of the community as a whole.

UCSF is a leading university that advances health worldwide by conducting advanced biomedical research, educating graduate students in the life sciences and health professions, and providing complex patient care.

\###