A New View of a Woman's Body

by The Federation of Feminist Women's Health Centers, Suzann Gage (Illustrator)

Originally written in 1982, updated in 1991. Presents clear, detailed descriptions of vaginal and breast self examination, the complete anatomy of the clitoris, common infections, lab tests, fertility detection, donor insemination, birth control, menstrual extraction, abortion care, surgical procedures and home remedies. Beautiful illustrations by Suzann Gage.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Health, Sexuality, Science, Biology, Womens

182 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1981

Reviews

[HeavyReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I try not to throw the term "life-changing" around, but this book honestly changed my life.

I was introduced to it by Anita in New Oreleans; she had picked it up off a 99 cent table at a corporate bookstore some time before meeting me.

This book introduced me to so much important information about women's bodies, and by extension, my own. It includes full color photos of different women's cervixes, as well as text telling the woman's age, the point of her menstrual cycle, and how many children she had given birth too. So fascinating! It also contained similar photos and information about women's vulva's. Wow! You can bet that at age 25 I had never seen anything like all that before.

Along with the exquisite photographers, this book contains extremely detailed illustrations of women's interior sexual/reproductive organs. It also contains a fully illustrated, step-by-step guide to doing self cervical exams.

I have used this book so many times to find information for myself and so many other women. I highly recommend this book for all women. Really, go out and get a copy. Get many copies if you can afford them and give them away as gifts. Give copies to young women at first moon parties and bat mitzvah. Give a copy to your mom and one ot your grandma. Really. Every woman needs to have access to this book.

[Emily Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book taught me that if I'm confused about how my pussy works I should just reach on in there and feel around for myself. And I'm not talking about some "light some candles, breath deep and bring yourself to orgasm" kind of touching. I'm talking deep tissue squeezing, self motivated research.

In the mid-70s some women who were public health advocates figured they didn't need anyone else to give them diagrams of their own anatomy if they had their very own map to work with - especially if these dated male medical models included a clitoris the size of a pea and a big gaping non-sensitive hole called the vagina. They created the "New View" - with detailed sketches based on touch and feel, rather than slice and dice.

What did they find? The love button has legs. Now cosmo has caught onto this by the year 2000, but can you really say you know where these legs are? Are you certain you know where all your erectile tissues is? What about putting a thumb inside and reaching downwards to feel around on the bottom floor? Most importantly, if you've tried the reach a finger in with a come hither motion to find your g-spot and your still confused, the color photos will clarify everything for you.

Lest we forget sexual health isn't just about orgasm, the New View also includes nice descriptive line drawings of the cerix and what happens during a pap-smear, the right fit for a diaphragm. Don't ask me why this book hasn't been updated and re-released in 10 years. Find an old copy and buy it!

[Ida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just amazing useful diagrams and solid information. This book is worth putting some effort into tracking down. While the tone is a little dated, I appreciate the militancy.

[vizionheiry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential for every woman.

[Rachel]

Read in 1996. My review from then: Great drawings, including an eye-opening illustrated concept of the structure of the clitoris ("A Feminist View"). I would like to see reaction to their clitoral stuff, though, because as I read the rest of the book, I saw numerous minor and not-so-minor inaccuracies and other problems. For example, the temperature charts in the birth control section don't look like those in my experience; I find it hard [impossible] to believe that nursing is 91% effective as a birth control method; and they were almost pushing Laetrile for breast cancer [I think it was discredited then, and it certainly is now]. Women who are anti-abortion should probably avoid this too - I was uncomfortable with the completely noncritical acceptance of abortions up to 24 weeks (my kids were born at 30 weeks) [24 week fetuses now have 60% viability].

[Melissa Hallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely essential manual for femalehood.

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although much thinner than "Our Bodies, Our Selves," I feel this book contains vital information that the right wingers would love to ban. It includes information about menstrual extraction, accessing safe surgical abortions, cervical self exams, and happens physically through visual examples during orgasm and ejaculation.

[Danger Kallisti · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the true classics of underground women's health books. It offers frank, positive information on the whole spectrum of female bodies.

[Elizabeth]

why is this book so hard to buy?

[Kay Baird]

The 1991 edition has detailed illustrations with excellent anatomical detail, and mentions the urethral sponge as particularly pleasureable (while not using the term "g-spot").

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Fall 2010 gyn class text.

This is a really cool book. Not very in-depth, but a very interesting perspective.

[Erin Winslow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most helpful books on woman's sexuality & sexuality I've ever read! I bought my copy back when this book was published in the 1990s and still own it.