Many among us are fortunate to have someone to celebrate Valentine’s Day with.  As we do, let’s remember not only the power of love, but also the importance of a social structure that allows love—in all it’s unique forms—to flourish.   For healthy love to thrive in our world, the communication that happens between intimate partners and families is essential.  My book, OOPS! Tales From A Sexpert, provides numerous windows into overcoming challenges of communicating about these issues.   Please remember, though, that that’s not all that is needed: ...
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As we look back on 2019 and look ahead to the New Year, when we focus on reproductive health and rights it can be easy to get discouraged by the current political landscape.  I’ve tried to keep my readers up to date throughout the year with the setbacks the Trump/Pence administration has imposed, but they’ve been so numerous and sweeping that it’s hard to fathom how devastating it is.But please remember how powerful we can each be with individuals.  Though government continues to make ...
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“Mommy, can I ask you a question?” Rachel asked as her mom tucked her in. “Of course!” Mom braced herself. Rachel usually just blurted out questions, so this intro was a signal that it was probably going to be intense. “Travis keeps rubbing my tushy and calling me 'honey' and blowing me kisses even when I tell him to stop. What should I do?” Last week Rachel had said that she was going to marry Travis. Mom already knew that Travis often ...
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October is “Let’s Talk” Month, a month set aside to encourage effective communication with teens about sexuality, love, and relationships. Communication and accurate information are vital to young people. One email I received about it from Power To Decide intrigued me, so I’m sharing part of it with you:“Birth control has long been a topic that’s not discussed, and as a result, reproductive health awareness, access, and progress—as well as women themselves—have suffered.We’re partnering with Simple Health for “Let’s Talk” month and ...
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Since 2007, a number of organizations have partnered in an annual worldwide campaign centering around a global vision: a world in which every pregnancy is wanted. September 26this World Contraception Day; the mission is to improve awareness of contraception and enable young people—all around the world—to make informed choices regarding their sexual and reproductive health. What a vital mission!Fortunately, when we look around the world, committed individuals and organizations have made information about effective contraception and access to it much more prevalent; ...
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The shopping for clothes and notebooks is over. The dust has settled from the transition of summer vacation to new routines. Sports teams are formed, clubs are joined, homework times are established; a new school year is underway.Now is a good time to pause and consider this question: when it comes to sexuality, what do we want our kids to be learning when they go to school? The messages we give our young people—at home, in our community, in our religious centers, ...
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Many of the 4 million patients who rely on federally funded clinics through Title X may find themselves unable to get medically accurate information and access to a full range of reproductive health services very soon.  This is unconscionable.  The Title X program is the only federal grant program for reproductive health.  It was started in an effort to ensure that every American could access high quality and free or affordable reproductive health care regardless of variables such as income, race, religion, education, or geography. It ...
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“You are entitled to your opinion.But you are not entitled to your own facts.” ~ former N.Y.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan  An article I read last month has been haunting me. It was in the New York Times Magazine and it shed light on the current state of abortion access in Mississippi. A clinic escort was escorting a patient into the only clinic in the state that provides abortion services. A protester—who was white—handed a pamphlet to a black woman who was ...
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“I want to help people; I just don’t want to have to deal with them.”  Those were my friend’s daughter’s words when she came home from college to visit, years ago.  She was explaining to me why she had changed her college major and her vision for her own future.  Instead of continuing in pre-med, she decided to pursue a career as a medical researcher. She had been studying advances in the history of medicine, and realizing the great impact she could potentially have on an ...
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I just called my representative in the US House of Representatives about two vital issues.  It literally was a two-minute phone call, and I’ve put all the essential information below.  I encourage all my U.S. readers to do the same.  Here’s why: The House Appropriations Committee recently passed its Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies bill.  There’s good news about it regarding the funding levels and protections provided for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program and Title X, and ...
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“Forming your worldview by relying on the media would be like forming your view about me by looking only at a picture of my foot.” ~Hans Rosling* A federal judge recently put a halt to the implementation of the ‘Domestic Gag Rule.’ I had written about the importance of contacting our representatives when the House and Senate were considering it, and I know from your numerous replies that many of you did. Thanks to all who took to time to reach out.The ...
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Thank you to all who attended my recent reading at a private home in Cooperstown, N.Y. Having over 20 people in a living room is always a treat, and there were numerous distinguished professionals from different fields; I was delighted to see how receptive they were to my stories and ideas. The reading I shared was from the chapter She Wanted Miracles, which is all about family communication, and it was about work I did with a 15-year-old girl and her mother ...
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“Who is the best listener you know?” “If somebody were to ask everyone in your circle of family, friends and colleagues who is the best listener they know, would they say it’s you?”  Those are two questions Adam Bryant posed recently in How To Be A Better Listener in the New York Times.  I love both of those questions, and they really got me thinking.  I’ve heard so many people say they want to lose weight, exercise more, quit smoking or drinking, give more money to charities, ...
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Recently, when the CDC asked new mothers about their intentions prior to becoming pregnant, they provided a new, additional multiple-choice answer.  The question was, “Thinking back to just before you got pregnant with your new baby, how did you feel about becoming pregnant?”  The new choice was, “I wasn’t sure what I wanted.” * I was delighted to read about this change in the form, as my experience taught me that pregnancy ambivalence is a huge issue for many people—teens AND adults—so I’m glad it’s being acknowledged ...
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For those of us who are concerned with reproductive rights, and who understand how laws impact individuals’ rights, it’s easy to become frustrated with many recent federal policy changes.  The President and Vice President are committed to rolling back access to contraception, abortion, and medically accurate information regarding sexuality, and the Supreme Court’s recent ruling will bar most transgender people from serving in the military.  These are reminders of how ephemeral our hard won rights can be. But let’s also remember that the ...
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With the darkest day of the year now behind us in the northern hemisphere, and with religions all over the world having celebrations involving darkness and light, it seems appropriate to reflect on the year that is ending.  I’ll leave it to others to reflect on the world at large, and simply share my own personal reflections which can be summed up in two words: Thank You!Of course the big milestone for me was publishing my book, OOPS! Tales From A Sexpert.  Having it exist out ...
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Two important groups of women recently gave me opportunities to meet with them.  Since these were back-to-back events, I’m writing about them together. First was a local book group.  Following a fabulous potluck supper, our host’s beautiful home provided the perfect setting for a reading and discussion.  The lively chatter over dinner quickly became serious—but still equally lively!—as we discussed the book. Second was a women’s group that meets monthly in a nearby synagogue.  Over lunch I read a story and then we had a discussion ...
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ScOOPS! ~ Opening New Doors: NAMI At the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI) NYS 2018 Education Conference I was a guest and Featured Author.  More significant than anything specific that I said or did is this: to the best of my knowledge, it was the first time a sexual health educator was ever invited to present at a NAMI conference.  Since my personal goal is to get vital conversations about sexuality and sexual health to become more mainstream, being a key player in ...
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Our lively book event in New Jersey was great.  I was especially honored that Reginald “Reggie” Rosarian, the Director of Education from the local Planned Parenthood (PP) attended, enabling me to serve as a bridge in yet another community, connecting caring citizens with a representative from a vital local resource. With all that is going on in the politics of reproductive rights these days, I was glad to see that parents are aware that they play a key role on so many levels: in ...
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It is critical that we act against the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, and I can’t overstress the importance of each of us using our voices with our elected representatives to vote AGAINST him. I received an email from CREDO Action encouraging me to also call senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Jeff Flake asking each of them to publicly commit to voting against Kavanaugh.  We can call any senators by calling the senate switchboard and asking for a ...
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NY Primary Elections Reminder to readers who live in New York State: our primary elections are this Thursday, Sept 13. Please vote!  Remember, the state senate and assembly have different district numbers; to find out which you’re in for each, click here and enter your address once for each branch. The National Institute of Reproductive Health Action Fund has created a handy list of candidates, showing which are pro-choice and who they endorse here. Thank You! Thank you to everyone who attended my two recent ...
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I'll be reading and signing books at The Green Toad Bookstore in Oneonta, NY tomorrow, Saturday, September 8 at 2:00. I hope to see you there, and I hope you'll bring friends.  Remember, it's the same day as Oneonta's Grand And Glorious Garage Sale.  That's always a fun day in Oneonta, so I hope everyone in the area will enjoy some time on Main Street and then come give your feet a rest at 2:00 while I read one story from my book. Also, ...
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ScOOPS! ~ Readings Thank you to all who attended my recent reading at The Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown.   I was touched once again by the thoughtful questions and conversations the audience inspired. There was one especially interesting question about how nonjudgmental I sounded in many of the dialogues, asking if there were times I felt judgmental and whether that interfered with my work.  I pointed out that I am judgmental—we all are—but that when I’m trying to serve people, my judgment is irrelevant ...
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Reminder: I’ll be reading this coming Thursday, Aug. 23 at 10:30 a.m. at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y.  Free and open to the public.  Details are here.  Also, mark your calendar: Saturday, Sept. 8, 2:00 p.m. reading at The Green Toad Bookstore, Oneonta, N.Y. ScOOPS! ~ Ripples I’ve recently accepted an invitation to do a reading and presentation about my book at the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI/New York State’s 2018 Education Conference on October 27 in Albany, NY.  I’ll be discussing ...
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ScOOPS! ~ Dark Money Have you ever read a book and said to yourself, “This book should be required reading for all Americans who are old enough to vote”?  That’s how I felt when I recently finished Jane Mayer’s book, Dark Money The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right.  While many among us—like me!—are watching in horror as important advances in reproductive rights and a host of other issues are being eroded before our eyes, and looking to our ...
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According to an email I received from Power To Decide (formerly The National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy), it's time for us to all call our senators about saving vital Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Programs and Title X. "There is a chance, according to recent news reports, that the full Senate may soon consider their Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) appropriations bill. While this is tentative, it is never too early for constituents to ensure their Senators know that the TPP Program ...
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Save Title X: Deadline July 31 Do you take it for granted that you can go to a doctor and get birth control if you don’t want to get pregnant? Did you ever go to Planned Parenthood? Did you notice that you could get a choice of any method you wanted, and that the provider gave it to you regardless of their religious beliefs?  And that your questions were answered based on medically accurate information? Please don’t take that for granted. Imagine if that were not ...
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 …with a book reading! “You know your children are growing up when they stop asking you where they came from and refuse to tell you where they're going.” ~P.J. O'Rourke Are you and your friends concerned about what’s happening with reproductive rights?  Wondering how YOU can make a difference?  Are you looking to add purpose to your social gatherings while still relaxing and having fun? I have the answer!  Invite me to come to your gathering for a book reading from my recently launched ...
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Freedom.  Justice.  Democracy. What do these words mean? What does it mean to be an American? What are our rights? How are they protected? Growing up, I learned about the founding principals of our nation, about the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.  About how the Constitution protects our rights, about the American Political process. But it was my childhood friend's husband--a lawyer and a public defender--who later explained it to me clearly.  The Constitution MEANS what 5 sitting justices on the ...
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“Revolutions begin, not in plans, but in poetry and in music….Music, the ancient Greeks believed, goes deeper into the soul than utterances that lack melody: it molds the spirit more completely.” ~Forge Of Empires 1861-1871Michael Knox Beran, p. 19 Although I am neither a poet, a musician or a composer of music, this quote was affirming to me; I believe the point it makes can be extended beyond poetry and music to many art forms.  Including storytelling.  The quotation resonated with me ...
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To all the hardworking, loving dads out there—Happy Father’s Day! I hope you’ll enjoy being pampered today, and that you’ll have a chance to pause and reflect and treasure your experience of parenting. My own dad was loving, nurturing, and affirming to me, and that has served me well for a lifetime; I’m eternally grateful.  Although my dad is no longer living, his love and affirmation are his legacy, as is the way he so often filled our home with laughter and joy ...
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Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in the Authors Fair at Hamilton College.  I'm a Kirkland College graduate, from before the two colleges merged, and it was wonderful to return to the hill.  My visit there had to be very brief, yet that one event reminded me how fortunate I was to be able to attend such a fabulous liberal arts college.  Meeting the other authors who have recently published books and seeing the wide variety of topics alumni have written ...
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One of the most far-reaching ways we can help people is by empowering them to take charge of their fertility.  Unfortunately, the current administration has proposed changes to Title X that could have a devastating impact on people's ability to access reproductive health care services.  Title X is the US's only federal family planning program and provides services to a large percentage of low income people.  Since the restrictions would only apply to Title X recipients, they would disproportionately impact people with ...
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 When Emergency Contraception (EC) Was Introduced When the FDA approved the use of Emergency Contraception (EC), and Planned Parenthood began to make it available, my supervisor and I met to define my changing role.  It was only available by prescription then, so I had no direct role in distributing it, but my role in providing education—timely education—could potentially be significant in preventing unwanted pregnancies. Many people had never heard of it yet, or if they had, many had misinformation, so I needed to ...
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To those of you who ARE a mother and are celebrating today: thank you for all you do, every day, and Happy Mother's Day!  Today is a well-earned day of celebration for many. Today, let's also remember the role of family planning in our lives.  It enables us to decide whether and when to become a parent.  And let's remember the importance of reproductive health services, which have made childbearing so much safer in much of the world.  Thank you to everyone who works to ...
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Vivian Peters has just returned home from her West Coast Book Launch.  The trip involved two major events.  First was a reading, and the audience listened well, asked excellent, probing questions and provided extremely positive feedback.  The second event was with a book group that had read the book and invited Vivian to meet with them to discuss it.  This was Vivian's first meeting with people who had read the book already.  It was a fabulous experience.  One slight challenge was the fact that there ...
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Vivian Peters has updated the "Resources" section of her website to reflect a recent change.  The National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unintended Pregnancy recently changed its name to Power To Decide. For years, Vivian Peters relied heavily on this excellent resource, both as an educator and as a writer for OOPS! Tales From A Sexpert.  They're a great resource for parents, mentors, and professionals.  Here's the link to the updated website for Power To Decide ...
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We are excited to announce the official launch of Oops! Tales from a Sexpert, by Vivian Peters.  It is currently available in paperback and also as an ebook! Please feel free to forward this message to others who might be interested. Thank you to all who have helped to make today possible! Click here to buy the  kindle ebook edition! ...
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Here's an update: OOPS! Tales From A Sexpert (paperback) is now available for purchase on Amazon!  The ebook is coming soon...stay tuned! ...
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Here is a link to an obituary from the New York Times: Janet Benshoof.  In addition to describing some of her remarkable work, it reports that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote her a letter shortly before she died which included the passage “Martin Luther King said the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.  To make that so it takes people of your commitment, will and grit.”   Reading this obituary was inspiring to me; I hope you’ll appreciate ...
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“Could we have lunch with you fifth period?” I was in an office in the high school with Peggy, my new colleague, training her.  I didn’t know the girl who spoke, or either of her two friends in my doorway. “Sure!” I replied.  I was glad that Peggy would get to “shadow” a visit with a new group.  When they showed up for lunch, they had two more friends with them. “Could they stay, too?” the leader asked. “Sure,” I replied.  They ...
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“Oh yeah, it’s Friday: Vivian day.  I’m so glad you’re here!” I was relieved to get such an enthusiastic greeting from Valerie King when we arrived at the same time in the high school parking lot.  She was a special education teacher who had been with the district for twenty years. Secretly, I had wanted to hide when I saw her: she and I had both recently learned that one of the girls in her class was pregnant.  She had referred the ...
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