---
title: A gift from my dad
date: 2011-02-13T00:46:31-05:00
author: OBOS Admin
canonical_url: "https://ourbodiesourselves.org/blog/a-gift-from-my-dad"
section: Blog (Archive)
---
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[From the Archives of Our Bodies, Our Blog](/blog)# A gift from my dad

By Our Bodies Ourselves • February 13, 2011

Please note: This entry -- originally posted at [Our Bodies, Our Blog](https://ourbodiesourselves.org/blog) -- has not been updated since the publication date listed above.

Submitted by: Anna Hensley  
  
I received my first copy of *Our Bodies, Ourselves* when I was 12. At the time, I was living with my single father and my younger brother. My dad gave me a copy of *OBOS* that he had purchased, I believe, as part of a Women's Studies class he had taken in college. While my father has always been very open about talking about puberty, sexuality, and health with his children, he gave me *OBOS* in hopes that it might provide me with a richer and more thorough source of information on women's health.  
  
When he gave me the book, I was embarrassed and threw it under my bed. But shortly after, I pulled it out again and began perusing its pages. By the time I was 15, I had read the book in its entirety and asked my dad for an updated edition for Christmas.  
  
Having a well-researched, expansive, feminist women's health resource at my disposal—especially one written with a tone of genuine care and respect—made all the difference for me. I credit *OBOS* as the root of my interest in feminism, health, and the body, and it has had a lasting impact on the work that I continue to do today.  
  
Thank you, OBOS!  
  
*In this series, readers [tell their stories](/history/reading-our-bodies-ourselves/ "Reading Our Bodies, Ourselves") about their experiences with the book and its impact on their lives. [View more stories](/category/our-bodies-ourselves/readers-stories/).*

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