World Association For Sexual Health Research Articles

Inclusion Goals: What Sex Education for LGBTQIA+ Adolescents?

According to the World Health Organization and the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) Declaration of Sexual Rights, sex education aims to provide children and adolescents with comprehensive knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values, promoting equality and nondiscrimination while upholding freedom of thought and expression. However, current school curricula often focus on dichotomous sexual identity and hetero-cis-normative prevention strategies, neglecting the needs of gender minority (GM) and sexual minority (SM) youths. In family settings, discussions typically revolve around sexual risk reduction and basic contraception, omitting relational aspects and components of sexual identity such as orientations and gender expressions. This discrepancy highlights a gap between the official goals of sex education and its practical implementation, reflecting a cultural deficit in familial sex education. This study reviews the scientific literature on sexual health promotion interventions from 2015 to 2024 to identify inclusive approaches that enhance the participation of all youths, not just hetero-cis-normative individuals. The hypothesis is that most interventions primarily serve heterosexual and cisgender youths, indicating a need for more inclusive strategies to achieve better sexual health and educational outcomes. The study also suggests expanding curricula to align with recognized guidelines and the diverse needs of youth.

Clinical application of the Declaration on Sexual Pleasure of the World Association for Sexual Health.

Clinical application of the Declaration on Sexual Pleasure of the World Association for Sexual Health.

25th Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) and SASHA (South African Sexual Health Association)

25th Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) and SASHA (South African Sexual Health Association)

How to Navigate a Blindspot: Pleasure in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Programming and Research

Objectives: Despite billions of dollars in funding spent each year on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and HIV programming, sexual pleasure is insufficiently addressed. This paper therefore has three key aims: (1) to introduce the concept of sexual pleasure in SRHR programming, while providing context regarding investment and research, (2) to introduce and situate an upcoming systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify whether and to what extent incorporating sexual pleasure into SRHR interventions can improve health outcomes, and (3) to examine the key practical, methodological, and theoretical challenges in carrying out such a review. Methods: We undertook a literature review and analysis of conference abstract publications to highlight the 'pleasure gap' in evidence in sexual and reproductivehealth and rights programming and research. We detailed the scope, search strategy and challenges for our subsequent systematic review. Results: This paper and the subsequent review highlights the need to equip the SRHR and HIV fields to better meet the needs of communities by considering key reasons people have sex, and understand the challenges of undertaking a review of this nature. Conclusions: We conclude that this a focus on pleasure is particularly pertinent in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals and the ratification of the declaration on sexual pleasure at the 2021 World Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health.

Advancing Sexual Pleasure as a Fundamental Human Right and Essential for Sexual Health, Overall Health and Well-Being: An Introduction to the Special Issue on Sexual Pleasure

On September 11, 2021, the World Association for Sexual Health ratified a Declaration on Sexual Pleasure in its General Assembly. This declaration was a bold attempt by WAS to urge all spheres of influence in society to recognize the critical importance of sexual pleasure as a key component of sexual health and sexual rights. This special issue of the International Journal of Sexual Health (the official journal of the WAS) contains a technical document which supports the Declaration. In addition, it contains background papers that were commissioned to inform the evidence supporting the technical document and to outline the strategies for implementing the WAS Declaration on Sexual Pleasure in promoting sexual health and rights.

Virðing: Lykilþáttur í kynheilbrigði ungs fólks

Í íslenskum og erlendum samfélögum bendir margt til þess að vanvirðingar gæti gagnvart kynverund einstaklingsins og er MeToo-byltingin dæmi um viðbragð við þeim vanda. Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar er að varpa ljósi á hugtökin virðingu og vanvirðingu í sambandi við kynheilbrigði ungs fólks og út frá rétti þess til kynheilbrigðis. Gerð var endurgreining á tveimur eigindlegum rannsóknum sem byggðust á viðtölum við unga menn. Einnig var byggt á MeToo-frásögnum af kynferðisofbeldi gagnvart unglingsstúlkum. Gögnin voru greind út frá virðingu og vanvirðingu. Niðurstöður sýna að sjálfsvirðing er ungum karlmönnum mikilvæg í jafningjahópum en einnig við kaup og notkun smokka. Þeim finnst mikilvægt að virða samþykki hins aðilans og telja virðingu vera einn af lykilþáttum góðs kynlífs. Vanvirðing ungra manna birtist í umræðu um ráðandi karlmennsku en einnig þegar samþykki fyrir samförum er hunsað. Lýsingar á nauðgun unglingsstúlkna sýna fram á mikla vanvirðingu gagnvart rétti þeirra til kynheilbrigðis. Niðurstöðurnar benda til þess að virðing sé mikilvæg fyrir vellíðan einstaklingsins sem kynveru og hið gagnstæða gildi um vanvirðingu. Fræða þarf ungt fólk um rétt þess til kynheilbrigðis og um einkennandi þætti heilbrigðs kynferðislegs sambands.

Abstracts for the 24th Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS)

Abstracts for the 24th Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS)

PL-23 “Fulfil!”: A Guide to Translate Young People's Sexual Rights Into Practice

In September 2016, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) published “Fulfil! A Guidance Document for the Implementation of Young People’s Sexual Rights.” Fulfil! is composed of three sections. The first one describes the principles that are necessary for the implementation of young people’s sexual rights: a comprehensive understanding of youth’s sexuality, which locates diversity and sexual wellbeing at the core; gender perspective and equality; the balance between autonomy and protection, in the context of evolving capacities and empowerment; and meaningful youth participation. The second section provides guidance regarding critical opportunities for the implementation of young people’s sexual rights across five areas: freedom of sexual expression, sexual and reproductive health services and commodities, comprehensive sexuality education and SRHR information, protection from sexual violence, and remedies and redress. The third section is a case-by-case decision making model for service providers to support the implementation of young people’s sexual rights by balancing ethical, practical and legal factors.

Sexual Rights of Young People: Dilemmas Concerning Sexual Autonomy

World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) published its revised version of the Declaration of Sexual Rights in 2014. In 2016 WAS Youth Initiative started a process with International Planned Parenthood Federation to look into special issues in sexual rights of young people. The expert consultation discussions identified several ethical problems that make the implementation of sexual rights of young people challenging. In this lecture three of the problems will be discussed from the point of view of sexual ethics: evolving capabilities, risk-taking and discrimination. All of the problems share similar characteristics; the questions of autonomous decision-making and paternalism are deeply involved in all of them. In order to effectively analyse the problems a critical philosophical enquiry is needed, because all of the problems consist of two components: the philosophical dilemma of agency and informed decision-making, and the problem of surrounding cultural and social conditions, which doesn’t allow for best solutions to be applied, but instead relies on traditions, myths and unwarranted understanding of sexual risk and stigma. Thus in order to successfully penetrate the traditions and myths that stand in the way of capability based autonomy-supporting sexuality education, some typical ways of addressing the problems must be critically assessed and the traditional perspectives challenged.

PROCEEDINGS FROM THE 22ND CONGRESS OF THE WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR SEXUAL HEALTH, SINGAPORE, JULY 25-28, 2015.

PROCEEDINGS FROM THE 22ND CONGRESS OF THE WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR SEXUAL HEALTH, SINGAPORE, JULY 25-28, 2015.

Sexuality, health and human rights: The invention of sexual rights

Summary Objectives The recent publication (March 2014) of the new declaration of sexual rights of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) provided a good opportunity to review the genealogy of sexual rights in order to understand the circumstances of the emergence of such rights, to identify the organisations which opened the discourse on sexual rights and the various different perspectives from which this theoretical and intellectual elaboration was engaged. Methods A database was compiled comprising of all the main texts and declarations of sexual rights. The analyses revealed the following phases: in the first phase, we saw how the issue of family planning and the fight against the violence and discriminations against women emerged in the discourse on human rights; in the second phase, it was the human rights issues that were included in the field of sexual health, giving rise to “sexual rights”. These first two phases principally concerned the sexual health of heterosexual women and men. We are now witnessing the development of a new perspective aimed at the promotion of human rights and the fight against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identities. Conclusion The combination of a “health” approach and a “human rights” approach provides the bases of the main contemporary regimes of truth (Foucault) for sexuality.

World Association for Sexual Health

World Association for Sexual Health

Abstracts from the 21st Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health

Abstracts from the 21st Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health

S10.4 Sexual health and public policy in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)

BackgroundSexual health and its determinants are central to overall well-being and development. Thus, sexual health should be considered by public health as a critical element not only of the population's...

Scientific Research at the World Association for Sexual Health

Journal Article Scientific Research at the World Association for Sexual Health Get access Alain Giami, Alain Giami Inserm, CESP Centre for research in Epidemiology and Population Health, U1018, Gender, Sexual and reproductive health, Le Kremlin Bicetre, France Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Pierre Assalian, Pierre Assalian Dept. of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Roy Levin, Roy Levin Sexual Physiology Laboratory, Porterbrook Clinic, Sheffield, United Kingdom Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Kevan Wylie Kevan Wylie Porterbrook Clinic, Sheffield, United Kingdom Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Journal of Sexual Medicine, Volume 8, Issue Supplement_3, June 2011, Pages 82–83, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02324_4.x Published: 01 June 2011

Message from Kevan Wylie: Congress President

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.

World Association for Sexual Health

World Association for Sexual Health

Sexual Health for the Millennium: An Introduction

ABSTRACT This special issue of the International Journal of Sexual Health is devoted to the issues of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and the effort by the World Association for Sexual Health to argue that the promotion of sexual health is an essential strategy for attaining those goals. Recently, the World Association for Sexual Health has published Sexual Health for the Millennium: A Declaration and Technical Document (2008). This special issue of the IJSH contains the background papers which served as a foundation for the development of the declaration and technical document. These articles argue that sexuality is a fundamental aspect of being human, that human development must be premised on the promotion of sexual health and is a basic human right for all citizens. Public policies designed to promote human development must make the promotion of sexual health an essential strategy. This special issue is designed to stimulate more interest in the Sexual Health for the Millennium: A Declaration and Technical Document, encourage further analysis and research which will support the statements in the declaration, provoke more advocacy for sexual health, and, most importantly, to stimulate sound and effective public policies to create a sexually healthier world.

Sexual Rights: Striking a Balance

ABSTRACT Sexual rights, the first of the eight Montreal Declarations adopted by the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS), are grounded within existing international human rights treaties, covenants and conventions and contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (United Nations, 2005). Despite their apparent contribution to sexual health, sexual rights are particularly contentious, challenged both by nations that do not share the western enlightenment tradition and agenda and by critical theorists who raise concern about their essentializing influence on sexuality. Examples are presented from around the globe of conditions and practices that could be corrected with commitment to sexual rights. Moving such commitment forward must be done with caution, recognizing that sexual rights may be both liberatory and oppressive. It is argued that advancing a sexual rights agenda requires an articulation of the location of sexual rights within existing human rights commitments, a recognition of both the possibilities and the limitations of such an approach, identification and mobilization of a consensus reaching process, and active monitoring and evaluation of rights-based approaches to sexual health. A balance is required between rights and obligations, and between caring for self and caring for others.

The global priorities for sexual health: a challenge for the current generation

Sexual health is a priority to reach minimum levels of human development. The World Association for Sexual Health has identified eight areas where actions are needed to advance the level of sexual health in the world, and that will at the same time impact the general wellbeing of the community and the societies at large. The recognition and promotion of fulfilled sexual rights for all, the construction of a word with equity and equality between women and men, the eradication of sexual violence, the elimination of sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS, the adoption of scientifically based comprehensive sexuality education, the recognition of the centrality of sexual health in the reproductive health programs, the identification, treatment and prevention of sexual concerns, dysfunctions and problems and, the recognition of the importance of sexual pleasure as a component of well-being, are the areas that need immediate attention of governments, decision makers and program designers and executioners. There is no health without sexual health. There is no development with sexual health not taken into consideration. Sexual Health is needed, actions need to be implemented for the world to advance to a more dignified and human state of affairs.