Rachel E. Gross, author of “Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage” will explore the practical impact of science’s neglect of “female bodies.” This talk will focus on how a lack of knowledge puts women at increased risk for violence, including violence by medical providers. She’ll explore the impacts of “feminist science” on research and unconscious bias, and how patients can experience healing through knowledge and self-advocacy. The first 50 participants in attendance will receive a free copy of the speaker’s book, Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage.
After this talk:
- Participants will consider the impacts of the history of medicine on “female bodies,” including those of patients undergoing gender-affirming care.
- Participants will increase their understanding of how a lack of (self and/or provider) knowledge of female bodies can put women at increased risk of sexual harm, both inside and outside the examination room.
- Participants will consider education, self-advocacy, and “feminist science” as frameworks for healing and moving the field of medicine forward for survivors of sexual violence.
This event is open to CUIMC students, faculty, and staff.
About Rachel E. Gross
Rachel E. Gross is an award-winning science journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. She is a 2018-19 Knight Science Journalism Fellow and former digital science editor of Smithsonian magazine. In 2019 she received a MacDowell Fellowship to complete research and reporting for her book, Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage, which was published in March 2022. Rachel's writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, National Geographic, Scientific American, BBC Future, and NPR, among others.
Columbia Health makes every effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities. If you require accommodations to attend this event, contact Disability Services at 212-854-2388 or [email protected] at least 5 days in advance of the event.
