Dear Parents and Professionals Who Support Youth and Families,
Most parents want to talk openly with their children about sexuality, yet often feel unprepared to do so. When to start? What to say? How to best express the family values you want so much to share with your children?
To directly address these questions, Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon has developed an award-winning book called “There's No Place Like Home... For Sex Education.”
Written by Mary Gossart, Vice President of Education and Training, this book — now available as age-specific chapters on this Web site — contains relevant, age-appropriate sexuality information, useful strategies, communication hints, and suggested resources to support you in your efforts. You can also print/download pdf order form to purchase the printed spiral-bound version of this book.
You’ll be encouraged to know that family-based sexuality education can:
- create an opportunity to share family values
- provide accurate information to children
- build effective decision-making skills
- counteract negative and exploitive sexual messages in the media.
Our commitment to children and families is supported by our numerous funding partners, including:
- Chambers Family Foundation
- Collins Foundation
- Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation
- E. C. Brown Foundation
- Meyer Memorial Trust
- Regence Blue Cross/Blue Shield
- The Tate Family Fund, the Betty Lou Roberts Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation
- The Herbert A. Templeton Foundation
- Juan Young Trust
Questions or comments about ordering or about the “There's No Place Like Home... For Sex Education” publication? Please email us!
About the Authors
Mary Gossart, Vice President of Education and Training at Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon, is author of There's No Place Like Home... for Sex Education. Mary has worked in the field of sexuality/health education since 1975. She joined Planned Parenthood in 1981 as community educator and became Vice President of Education and Training in 1982. Mary manages The New 3Rs: Rights, Respect, Responsibility initiative for PPSO and co-chairs the statewide Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Sexual Health Partnership. She has a Masters Degree in health education from the University of Oregon.
Jacqueline Sequoia, part Cherokee/Creek/Oconee, began work in culturally sensitive sexuality education for American Indians during her Compton Mentor Fellowship. During this fellowship project year she completed a needs assessment of reproductive health education materials for American Indian communities.
Jacqueline received her Bachelors degree in Biology from Berea College and a
Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology from San Diego State University. She
is attending medical school and expects to receive her M.D. in 2009. In addition
to reproductive health, she is also interested in minority and underserved
health issues. Throughout this time Jacqueline has been involved
with the California Native American Research Center for Health (CA-NARCH),
and expects to continue her commitment to the American Indian community during
her career as a physician.
