.Community—
Planned Parenthood program gets national use
By Hon Walker
Emerald Reporter
Parents have the potential to
be the most effective conduc
tors of sexuality education to
their children, said Mary
Widoff. education director for
Planned Parenthood of Lane
County.
However, she said many par
ents either do not feel comfort
able discussing the facts of life
with their children, or do not
recognize the importance of
open and honest communica
tion.
To improve this avenue of
communication, Widoff has de
veloped a program for parents.
"There's No Place Like Home
... For Sex Education," which
was distributed statewide last
year and received attention on
a national level in January
"It has the potential of im
pacting hundreds of thousands
of parents and children in a
topic area that can be so diffi
cult,” she said.
Widoff s sex education pro
gram consists of groups of five
newsletters for parents of chil
dren in various ages and grade
level. The first newsletter
group is oriented toward those
with three-year-old children,
with more newsletters for each
year through grade six.
Copies of the newsletters
have been distributed to all Or
egon school districts, as well as
state pediatricians, churches,
women’s shelters and county
health departments.
In addition, all Planned Par
enthood affiliates in the nation
have received the newsletters.
Many areas are planning state
wide distribution similar to Or
egon's.
"1 feel incredibly grateful. It
feels like 1 really have the op
portunity to make a difference
in people's lives,” Widoff said.
She began developing her
program in early 1988, follow
ing the philosophy that parents
should be empowered with in
formation and strategies for
their children’s sex education.
The sex education process
begins at birth, she said, with
infants receiving gender mes
sages coming from colors of
clothes, choices of toys, and af
fection. among other sources.
Even at age three, a child has
been educated extensively
through a parent's verbal or
non-verbal communication, she
said
If a parent establishes a basic
foundation of trust and under
standing during the child's first
few years, educating the child
about more complex issues can
he easier as he or she moves
into puberty and adolescence,
Widoff said
A unique factor of WidofTs
education program is that par
ents ate not instructed what to
say to their children, but rather
are assisted in interpreting
their own values.
“What we try to do is to al
low parents to pass on their
family values in a way that's
very healthy and positive,” she
said A focus on how to com
municate instead of what to
communicate allows flexibility
for effective sex education from
parents of varying back
grounds. cultures and reli
gions.
Widoff’s program provides
basic information of sexual de
velopment in children, along
with strategies for appropriate
ly answering common ques
tions.
A goal in answering typical
questions on sexuality is "to
frame the message positively so
kids will come out of it not
feeling that they've done some
thing wrong or that they've
touched on a taboo," VVidoff
said.
Few parents realize the im
portance of being open with
their children about sex educa
tion, she added, noting that
open and honest communica
tion about it exists in fewer
than to percent of families.
In the changing climate of
sexual attitudes in the age of
AIDS, the need is greater in the
late 1980s than ever. VVidoff
said. "Sexual decisions can be
a matter of life and death "
In addition, children receive
frequent media messages about
sex, which is another need for
open communication. "Nowa
By GARY LARSON
(lays we recognize that kids are
sexually active al a much
younger age," she said
Widoff emphasized that her
program is intended to bo a
supplement to school sex edu
cation curriculum, not a re
placement "It's a way of help
ing schools and parents work
together in a partnership." she
said
Publication and distribution
of the newsletters was funded
in part by grants front the Col
lins Foundation, the Merited A
Templeton Foundation and the
Oregon Community Founda
tion, Widoff said
A second phase of the pro
gram. consisting of a series of
newsletters aimed at adoles
cents from seventh to 12th
grades, is now in the works It
will receive additional funding
from the Fred Meyer Charitable
Trust and the Jackson Founda
tion, she added
The program's second phase
will reach Oregon school dis
tricts and national Planned Par
enthood affiliates this fall, and
it is expec Ic'd to eventually
reach the same widespread dis
tribution level as the first
phase. Widoff said
The widespread distribution
of Widoff's program has result
ed in positive feedbac k from
around the nation
1’IVM.C hxecutlve Dirt-dor
Hill Sheppard said, "VVe'rv ex
Irt-nit'ly pleased with the over
whelming response we re re
ceiving."
Widoffs program appeals to
a wide range of people because
it addresses issues in a sensi
tive manner while assisting
parents in effet lively communi
cating their personal values,
Sheppard added
VVidoff said she has received
only one negative response to
her program, from a Port hind
area church. Many supporters,
ranging from parents to funda
mentalist pre-school teachers.
have sent cards and phone calls
praising the program.
"It's really taking off." said
Marin Matthews, associate di
rector of Planned Parenthood
Federation of America. Inc., in
New York. "It s wonderful. It
needs to be given to every par
ent In the country anil to stu
dents at every grade level."
"What we're hoping is that
folks will adapt it for their own
communities and do what
Mary's been able to do in Ore
gon." Matthews said
In addition. Matthews said
Widoff s program will help
Planned Parenthood's image.
The organization often is in
conflict with foes of birth con
trol and abortion, but it also
aims to provide extensive edu
cation. The new program is a
fresh example of this, Mat
thews said.
"We hope the program will
stimulate parents to read other
texts, attend workshops and get
more information" to educate
their children. Matthews said.
"We're delighted that Oregon
has taken the lead."
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