During college, women often find themselves facing new health issues – ranging from the use of new prescription drugs to having a child.

Last night Judy Norsigian, co-author of the book, “Our Bodies, Ourselves” spoke to a room of around 25 students at the Gish Film Theater about some of the most common issues that confront women in college.

The event was sponsored by the University’s NARAL Pro-Choice Organization. Kristin McCormick, president of the pro-choice organization and member Amanda Monyak organized the event, inviting Norsigian to talk about issues attached to women’s health and the ways that the media negatively portrays them.

McCormic and Monyak both told students how Norsigian’s book impacted their lives.

McCormik said when she first picked up the book, she thought it was nothing more than the book all of her professors in the Women’s Studies Department were talking about. But reading it was a life-changing experience for her.

As Norsigian took over the podium, she began her speech by discussing the future of the book, announcing a new book that will be released in March, dealing with pregnancy and birth.

She said she’s also embraced the Internet to share information with women.

“We see people are looking to the Internet for information, especially for women’s health,” Norsigian explained while she told the audience about the book’s blog, cleverly named “Our Bodies, Our Blog.”

Norsigan also covered issues including childbirth, tobacco use, prescription drugs, various vaccines and the controversies that come with cosmetic surgery.

Norsigian said cosmetic surgery has become an important of women’s health. Norsigian said many women who decided to have cosmetic surgery end up regretting it later. In the year 2006, Norsigan said, 329,396 women got breast augmentations and 40 percent of patients believe they should not have been so fast into surgery.

Norsigian also shared that students are always most interested in the topics of reproduction and new controversies such as HPV vaccines and egg donations.

“It’s really important to be aware of woman’s issues, and for women and men to educate themselves on the subject.” said Brittany Anne Boulton, treasurer of University’s NARAL Pro-Choice Organization.

Norsigian has been visiting campuses for many years, and acknowledges BGSU for inviting her.

“We are a nonprofit organization with a mission. We have a great circle of researchers and we are just the vehicle to get it to the public,” Norsigian explained when asked why she gives these speeches at college campuses. “We don’t go to the colleges, the colleges come to us.”