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An erogenous zone is any part of the body that elicits sexual arousal when touched. Although most people think of the genitals when it comes to sexual touch, other parts of the body are erogenous zones as well and can bring a person great sexual pleasure. In fact, a 2016 study that mapped the preferred erogenous zones of 704 participants found that the entire body can be sensitive to sexual touch, but erogenous zones vary from person to person.
Dear ISSM members,
This message from me as ISSM President arrives at a time of mixed emotions: there is war in Ukraine that makes us worry about the state of the world, but there is also hope of a new dawn as the pandemic seems to be at the far end of its journey. There is real excitement at the prospect of finally meeting each other in person at the ISSM-SMSNA Scientific Meeting on Sexual Medicine to take place in Miami, USA from October 27-30, 2022.
Last month, I finally had the opportunity to travel again and meet the ISSM Executive Committee in person for the first time since we last met in March 2020. We had our yearly strategy session to discuss the future of the society.
We discussed that one of the successful projects that started due to the pandemic in 2020 is the ISSM Webinar Series. This month, we will organize our 24th webinar! On average, we welcome 200 live attendees to each ISSM webinar. Did you know that if you cannot join the live webinar, you still have the opportunity to view the webinar on demand, at a time and place convenient for you? Check out the past webinars here.
I would like to thank again the ISSM Education Committee for all the work they have put into the webinars, lead by the vice-chair Patrícia M. Pascoal from Portugal, and of course also a big thanks to all the faculty members involved!
The ISSM Education Committee, led by chairman Landon Trost, also continues to work hard on finalizing the ISSM Curriculum on Sexual Medicine for ISSM members to complete on the ISSM University. We can already begin the unveiling, as in the strategic session of the ISSM EC it was discussed that we work on expanding the ISSM University to make it even more beneficial for members. It is really exciting, and I hope to be able to update you soon with more information.
The ISSM/SMSNA Scientific Committee, under the great chairmanship of Alan Shindel and Linda Vignozzi, is working hard on finalizing the program of the joint meeting in Miami. The program will soon be announced, so keep an eye out for it on the website.
ISSM and/or SMSNA Members who have submitted an abstract are eligible to apply for a travel stipend that will cover travel, living expenses, and meeting registration fees. The deadline to apply is July 1, 2022, so make sure to send in your application. Applications from those working in lower-income countries and/or who are experiencing financial hardship will be given priority.
The ISSM Communication Committee continues to work hard on providing answers to public questions on sexual medicine through the ISSM social media channels and the ISSM website. They will shortly announce the social media prize again, where the registrant to the ISSM-SMSNA meeting in October 2022 with the best Twitter coverage will be awarded with the Social Media Prize, worth USD 500!
At the end of the joint ISSM-SMSNA meeting in Miami, I have to hand over the ISSM presidency already. Time went by so fast and so much has been achieved with the great help of all ISSM committees and members. Fortunately, I know the ISSM is in good hands with Gerald Brock as the new ISSM President per November 2022.
Are you ready to take a seat at the leadership table? Last week, we sent out a call for nominations for positions in the ISSM Board of Directors. The deadline to submit your self-nomination or nominate an ISSM colleague for one of our open positions is July 4, 2022. Open positions include ISSM President-Elect, ISSM Treasurer, and 3 Members at Large. ISSM seeks to have members in leadership positions who represent the geographic and multidisciplinary nature of the society. Visit the ISSM website for the criteria, eligibility, and nomination instructions.
The Sexual Medicine Reviews Journal, one of the four official ISSM Journals, is soon also accepting applications for the position of Editor-in-Chief (start per October 2022). The SMR represents the diversity of subjects in basic science and clinical practice that define sexual health, sexual function, sexual dysfunction, and sexual medicine. SMR is targeted at the sexual medicine investigator, practitioner, and trainee, but is also explicitly intended to appeal to and serve the needs of a broader audience of generalists and specialists with interest in or need of a high-quality overview of a specific topic in sexual medicine. Sexual Medicine Reviews has been included in PubMed since 2020 and has an Impact Factor of 4.836. More information will be made available soon!
The Young Researchers Committee, under the great leadership of Andrea Salonia, has worked on developing a survey on the Perception of Sexual Norms. This is currently in its pilot phase and the committee is looking forward to presenting the preliminary results to you during the scientific meeting in October. I can’t wait to see the results.
Currently, there are also 3 consultations on sexual medicine running. One on New Regenerative Interventions in Sexual Medicine, one on Female Genitopelvic Pain, and one on Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder and Hypersexuality. The preliminary results will be presented to you during the scientific meeting in October. Even more reason to attend!
As you can see from this list of accomplishments, our committees are vibrant and productive groups within the ISSM. We depend on our members to volunteer their time and expertise to carry out the mission and work of the organization. Thank you to all whose contributions to our committees move both ISSM and the field of sexual medicine forward.
Please remember that if you have ideas or suggestions for projects, you can always contact the members of the ISSM Executive Committee or contact our Executive Office.
I look forward to welcoming you all in Miami soon!
Warm regards,
Annamaria Giraldi
President ISSM
Ps. on the photo, from left to right: Kwangsung Park, Annamaria Giraldi, Gerald Brock, Luiz Otavio Torres, Arthur Burnett.
Radiation therapy is a common treatment for prostate cancer. Unfortunately, it has been shown to negatively affect a man’s sexual function in some cases. In particular, the association between prostatic radiotherapy and erectile dysfunction (ED) is well documented, despite it generally showing better sexual health outcomes than radical prostatectomy (surgery to remove the prostate and surrounding tissues) in the short term.
For busy couples facing seemingly endless demands upon their time, it may feel like sex always takes a back seat to work, education, chores, parenting, and other important priorities. Certainly, the ebb and flow of sexual activity is normal in a long-term relationship, and putting off sex may even be necessary in times of major life changes such as soon after childbirth. Nevertheless, if it is consistently difficult for you and your partner to find time for sex in your day-to-day lives, the following are a few things you can try.
Gender dysphoria is the distress that an individual may feel due to their gender identity not matching the sex they were assigned at birth. While gender dysphoria typically affects transgender and gender diverse individuals, it is important to note that not all transgender and gender diverse people experience it, nor does everyone seek gender-affirming care.
Introduction
Depression is one of the most frequent health disorders in the world, according to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD). In fact, a 2017 GBD study revealed that approximately 258.2 million people worldwide were diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) at the time of the study, and this number is almost certainly lower than the actual count, as depression is an underreported/underdiagnosed condition.
Discrimination against members of minority groups such as the LGBTQIA+ community can have serious ramifications when it comes to the overall health and well-being of these individuals. (LGBTQIA+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and all other gender and sexual identities).
The association between alcohol abuse and erectile dysfunction (ED) is well-documented in medical literature. Healthy erectile functioning relies on signals being passed effectively through the body’s nervous system and good blood flow to the penis, which are two processes that alcohol consumption can hamper (at least temporarily). In particular, chronic alcohol abuse has been shown to lead to an increase in erectile difficulties in men, though luckily these effects may be reversible.
The ISSM Nominating Committee is seeking nominations for five open positions on the ISSM Board of Directors: President-Elect, Treasurer, and three Members-at-Large. Any ISSM member in good standing may seek election for these positions by submitting a petition for nomination signed by 20 full members of the society. Petitions must be received by the Secretary-General by July 4, 2022.
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This message is to inform you that currently a fake email account for the ISSM President Annamaria Giraldi is being used, requesting to respond to an 'urgent task for the SMSNA-ISSM'.
Please note that this account is NOT an email account from the ISSM president and please do not reply or click on any links in this message. It is best to delete it directly. If you reply to the email, they will send you even more messages and try to get you convinced to transfer money. This method is called a smart form of phishing.
Phishing
Phishing is a form of online scamming using fake e-mails, websites or messages. How can you identify those fake e-mails and how can you distinguish them from real messages? Smart cybercriminals can really make you doubt. Here are a number of tips to help you assess whether or not you can trust a message.
The basic rule: Cyber criminals always try to abuse something you believe in or someone you trust. They also often try to use fear to achieve their ends. Do not get tricked!
Tips
Did you get a suspicious e-mail or phone call? Then answer these questions:
- Is it unexpected? - You received a message for no reason: you did not buy anything, have not had contact with them for a long time, etc. Investigate further.
- Is it urgent? - Stay calm: did you really get a first reminder to pay? Do you know that 'friend in need'?
- Do you know the person who sent the e-mail? - Check the e-mail address, and also check for spelling errors. However, beware: a legitimate e-mail address is no guarantee.
- Do you find the request strange? - An official body will never ask you for your password, bank details or personal details via e-mail, SMS or over the telephone.
- Where does the link you need to click on lead to? - Hover over the link with your mouse. Is the domain name, the word before “.be”, “.com”, “.eu”, “.org”, etc. and before the very first slash "/", really the organization’s name?
- Are you being personally addressed? - Be wary of messages using general and vague titles, or your e-mail address to address you.
- Does the message contain many linguistic errors? - Although seasoned cybercriminals tend to use language correctly, language errors or a foreign language can indicate a suspicious message.
If you are in doubt about emails you receive from ISSM (now or in the future) or have any questions/concerns, please always contact us through
Kind regards,
ISSM Secretariat
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an overarching term that describes disorders that cause chronic inflammation in a person’s digestive track. The two conditions that are categorized as IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) is a condition that is estimated to affect about half of all postmenopausal women. It occurs when the decline in estrogen that accompanies menopause causes undesirable changes in the urogenital system such as vaginal and vulvar dryness, itchiness, burning, and frequent, urgent, and/or painful urination.
