book, first published in 1970 and periodically revised and updated, a groundbreaking publication in its expressed goal of dispelling widespread ignorance about the female body and women's health issues. Noting the often dismissive and sometimes injurious treatment women can receive from male-dominated medical institutions, the book emphasizes the importance to women of knowledge of their own bodies, and it encourages active participation in medical treatment as well as alternative treatments. Each chapter contains an extensive list of resources.

The book's authors are members of the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, which began as a small feminist discussion group in the late 1960s. To supplement scant or unavailable information about women's health and medical issues, the group began writing articles on topics such as sexuality, birth control, abortion, pregnancy, and menopause, incorporating personal experiences with their research findings. The project developed into a book, and the first edition sold several million copies. Subsequent editions were heavily revised and expanded with chapters discussing issues such as body image, physical fitness, lesbianism, aging, AIDS, new reproductive technologies, and violence against women.