Message from Kevan Wylie: Congress President

Abstract

Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infi rmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. For sexual health to be attained and maintained, the sexual rights of all persons must be respected, protected and fulfi lled. This defi nition has served us well over the last decade and the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) offers its biannual congress to facilitate clinicians, scientists, educators, advocates and all of those with a legitimate interest in human sexuality to meet and share their opinions and fi ndings. It is the wide diversity of interest in the fi eld as well as within the discipline which offers such variety and opportunity to the delegates at our meetings especially at this time when we are consolidating our understanding of the fi eld of sexual health whether this be sexology, sexual medicine or sex education and training to name only a few. This congress will hopefully offer the chance to progress with our legend of forging the future of our professions by allowing respectful recognition that previous boundaries can sometimes be relaxed to allow us to merge with confl uent benefi t to all. The invitation to preside over one of the world’s most important congresses in our specialty is a great honour and one which with the support and contribution from my colleagues at both the Sheffi eld Society for the Study of Sexuality and Relationships (SSSSR) and at the WAS will hopefully remain in your memories in the years ahead. The major contributors to the meeting have been three fold. First, from our carefully selected plenary speakers who have travelled from around the world to provide an insight into an aspect of sexual health from different perspectives. Secondly, from the many groups and teams who have proposed and developed symposia across a wide range of fi elds. Our third group, the largest group, is from individuals who have submitted over 800 abstracts from around the globe. Thank you to our scientifi c committees led by Roy Levin, Alain Giami and Pierre Assalian and supported by our seven UK based track leaders with their members who have all worked endlessly to ensure we try to get the best mix and input across our sessions and symposiums from both experienced scientists and contributors and those who are starting out or developing their career. Yet, the congress cannot be a success without the interaction of the delegates and each and every one of you (including all of the Sassenachs) are very welcome here in Scotland and the opportunity for discussion and expression is warmly encouraged throughout the congress. We are particularly pleased to offer space to meet and interact with each of our 30 plenary speakers in dedicated 30 minutes sessions in order to “meet the expert”. This whole meeting could not have taken place without the input from my colleagues at SSSSR. The society is very much regional in origin but whose aim is to further the opportunities for its members to join the family of sexologists and sexual health workers globally. I want to extend my personal thanks to Roy Levin who has chaired the local scientifi c committee and to my colleagues Debbie Davies-South, Manolee Shankar, Julie Fitter and Kim Monk who have all worked extraordinarily hard and over and above their daytime jobs to ensure the scientifi c and social programme is the best we can deliver in these times of austerity here in the city known as that “dear green place” Glasgu. Take some time to explore beyond the city centre and you will discover one of the most beautiful countries in the world before returning home in anticipation of our next meeting in Rio de Janeiro when I hope that we shall all have the chance to meet once again.