Women's bodies: an unreliable history

Hungry for seconds? Well, History's Greatest Dishes from History Extra is back for series two. To join us as we serve up stories of some remarkable delicacies from the past, search History's Greatest Dishes and follow the feed wherever you get your podcasts. Hungry for seconds? Well, History's Greatest Dishes from History Extra is back for series two.

To join us as we serve up stories of some remarkable delicacies from the past, search History's Greatest Dishes and follow the feed wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the History Extra podcast, fascinating historical conversations from the makers of BBC History magazine. Female anatomy and the ideas surrounding it, from breastfeeding to virginity, can still cause contention today. From the original Pandora myth to intact hymen's being used as evidence in courts of law, Professor Helen King takes Lauren Good on a journey through the ever-changing cultural history of women's bodies. Thanks so much for joining me today to discuss your new book, Immaculate Forms, uncovering the history of women's.

bodies. Firstly, Helen, what made you decide to write it? Well, I've been working on the history of the female body for decades now and I've never really put it all together into a book that was accessible to a general reader. And I do want people to hear this because I think history is really exciting and I think it tells us things about our own bodies that we wouldn't have otherwise known. So when I was asked to do this I thought, how do I approach it?

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