Ipas co-hosts Chapel Hill release of Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth

Photo courtesy of Our Bodies, Ourselves

On Thursday, March 20, 2008, Ipas will co-host the local release of Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth, at 1:30 p.m. on the Chapel Hill campus of the University of North Carolina (207 South Road, Chapel Hill, NC).

“This book presents the most up-to-date and accurate information on pregnancy and childbirth. Our Bodies Ourselves is renowned for objective information that is presented without influence of pharmaceutical or other interests aside from those of women themselves,” says Judy Norsigian, executive director of Our Bodies, Ourselves. “The widespread routine use of medical interventions during labor and birth has failed to improve the safety of childbirth for women who are at low risk for medical complications. Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth dispels many common misconceptions about maternity care and provides women with the information they need to make wise decisions and approach birth with confidence.”

Ipas Executive Vice President Barbara Crane says, “Our Bodies, Ourselves” has taught women about their sexual and reproductive health for almost 40 years, and this new book continues in that tradition. For most women, bearing children is a joyful experience. While supporting women in all aspects of this process, the book also affirms the basic principle of women’s reproductive choice.”

Ipas has helped bring the important messages of Our Bodies, Ourselves to new audiences abroad since 2003. Ipas helped fund translations of Our Bodies, Ourselves into Nepali and French, and disseminations of the translations in Nepal and 12 North-African countries.

Founded in 1969 after a group of Boston-based women met at a local women’s conference, the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective (now known as Our Bodies, Ourselves) wrote the first edition of the landmark book Our Bodies, Ourselves in 1970. The eighth edition, as well as other publications and online resources by this nonprofit organization, provide accurate, noncommercial information about women's health and sexuality. For more information, visit http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org.

The gathering is open to the public and will feature readings by Norsigian, a book signing, and brief presentations from Norsigian and Miriam Labbok, director, Center for Infant and Young Child Feeding and Care, UNC-CH. In addition to Ipas, co-hosts include the Bull’s Head Bookshop, the Center for Infant and Young Child Feeding and Care, Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina, Triangle Birth Network, the Women’s Birth & Wellness Center and the UNC Family Medicine MCH Program.

For more information, contact:
Kirsten Sherk
Senior Associate, Media Relations
e-mail: sherkk@ipas.org
phone: 919.960.5612
fax: 919.929.0258