VBB 371 Judith A. Houck: Bitches Who Made Women-Centered Health Care Your Privilege!
Judith Houck is a professor of the history of science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a prominent voice in the study of women’s health movements. As the author of Speculum: Examining the Women's Health Movement, Judith offers extensive insight into how feminist activists, often labeled “bitches” by reputation, from the 1960s through the 1980s, not only challenged patriarchal medical institutions but also created alternative health practices and facilities that spawned a revolution around women’s bodily autonomy, reproductive freedom, and women-centered healthcare. Professor Houck explains how the women's health movement challenged medical paternalism, fought for access to information, and insisted on women’s bodily autonomy. This episode is for any woman who values access to and the choice of having female doctors and healthcare providers for her primary care. Prepare for a conversation that provides a historical perspective on women’s health and care, and highlights choices women today unknowingly take for granted.