Sexual Science

 

The Newsletter of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality

Summer 2005

Volume 45 - Issue 3
Nancy Coiro, B.A., Editor

Inside this issue...

 

President's Letter Executive Director’s Letter Society Announcements Briefly Noted Student Focus

Opportunity Alert Upcoming events, meetings, etc. Calls for Papers Wired!

From the President

More than half a year of my term as President of SSSS has passed.  This is a good time to reflect on our recent accomplishments.  The 2004 Annual Meeting in Orlando was a huge success.  The scientific program was well received, and the focus of this meeting on the politics of sexual science was timely.  Our Past President, Andrew Mattison, deserves much of the credit for this successful meeting.  Since the Orlando meeting, we have endorsed a number of public policy positions, such as a request to the U.S. Congress for a full hearing on the efficacy of “abstinence-only until marriage” programs, and the introduction of the REAL Act (Responsible Education About Life) to fund comprehensive sexuality education.  We also remain active in the Coalition to Protect Research (see www.cossa.org).

 

I just returned from the Western Region Annual Conference in San Francisco.  The theme of this conference was “Unstudied, understudied, and underserved sexual communities: New areas for research, education, and therapy.”  The conference had a record attendance, and highlights of the scientific program were covered by CNN and other national and international media.

 

We have recently returned from the World Congress of Sexology, July 10-15, Montreal, Canada.  We supported this congress by foregoing our 2005 Annual Meeting.  We have organized a number of SSSS sponsored events during this congress, including a terrific SSSS scientific track (see elsewhere in this issue of Sexual Science for details of the nine symposia on this track).  Thanks to all of you who responded to our call for abstracts to make this track possible. 

 

I have set three goals for SSSS to accomplish during my term as President:

 

(1) Promote membership;

(2) Foster collaboration with other professional organizations in our field;

(3) Continue to improve the financial health of the Society.

 

Strategies to achieve these goals were formulated during our 2004 long range planning retreat.  I am pleased to share with you the progress that we have made for each of these three goals.  At the 2004 Orlando meeting, we initiated a “Keep the Legacy Alive” membership campaign.  The chair of our membership committee, Brian Zamboni, has been working diligently to implement a number of recruitment strategies that have resulted in 115 new members so far.  We need the help of each and every one of you to recruit new members; growth in membership is essential to secure the future of the Society.  So approach your colleagues and students, tell them about all that SSSS has to offer, and encourage them to join.  During the World Congress in Montreal,  SSSS was highly visible during this meeting; it was an opportunity for our organization to spread the word about the benefits of being a SSSS member, and to increase our international membership.  We recruited 40 new Members in Montreal.

 

As far as collaboration with other sexuality organizations, SSSS has continued to participate in the North American Federation of Sexology (NAFSO), of which I serve as Vice President.  This Federation is one of five federations (European, African, Asian, and Latin American being the others) that are represented in the World Association of Sexology.  We are exploring new ways of collaborating on future endeavors, such as a future NAFSO conference.  For further information on NAFSO, see www.nafso.org.  Closer to home, we are exploring the possibility of a joint annual meeting with our friends from AASECT (the American Association of Sex Counselors, and Therapists) in the very near future.

 

With regard to the financial health of the Society, our Treasurer Herb Samuels has worked with the Board of Directors (a wonderful, energetic, and smart team) to increase ownership and control of the budget.  We also have begun negotiations with the Foundation for the Scientific Study of Sexuality to expand the potential of fundraising to support the mission and goals of SSSS.  These negotiations have been promising, and the foundation already has committed to fund a number of SSSS activities.  Finally, the Council of Past Presidents has offered their expertise in strengthening the Society.

 

In summary, I feel increasingly optimistic about the future of the Society.  I value our diverse membership, am extremely proud of our scientific publications (The Journal of Sex Research and the Annual Review of Sex Research), and I look forward to celebrating with you the 50^th anniversary of SSSS in 2007.

 

 

Walter Bockting, Ph.D., President

Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality

From the desk of:

 

David L. Fleming, SSSS Executive Director

 

World Congress Membership Special

 

To say that SSSS had a successful week in Montreal at the XVII World Congress of Sexology would be a huge understatement.  As Patricia Koch, President-elect of SSSS said, “I leave Montreal on such a ‘high,’” as we all did.  It was a great week, albeit tiring and long, where our Society shined brightly amidst the international stars.

 

First of all, it was a week of great PR for SSSS with our name mentioned throughout the final program as we sponsored at least two symposia each day. Pat Koch was masterful as she introduced each symposium, moderated and even presented at two. All were of high quality and well received. SSSS contributed significantly to the scientific portion of the Congress.

 

Our new exhibit booth was the focal point of much of our activity and presence in Montreal. We recruited 40 new members during the week- many international members and MD’s. The daily drawings for books supplied by and authored by our members were a big hit which generated a lot of traffic to the booth and supplied us with hundreds of names for our mailing list. Our exhibit area was the busiest place on the exhibit floor and provided a hospitable oasis for all weary conferees. Special thanks to board members Pat Aletky, Selma Gonzales-Serratos, Herb Samuels, Pat Koch, Charlene Muehlenhard, and Walter Bockting, who, along with our other SSSS “all stars” Eli Coleman, Bob Hatfield, Bob Friar, Mike Young, Bill Stayton, Beverly Whipple, Andrea Parrott, Suzanne Frayser, Pepper Schwartz, Ray Noonan, Jeff Parsons, Bob Francoeur, Janet Hyde, John DeLamater, and Bean Robinson all contributed to our success and worked extremely hard for SSSS.

 

Our president, Walter Bockting, was a major force in Montreal.  He chaired The Winer Plenary, was elected to the WAS advisory board, presented at one of our symposia and worked the crowd as our “number one ambassador” in addition to the numerous meetings and events he attended representing SSSS.

 

Our member and guest reception on Tuesday evening was well attended and very successful. It provided a unique opportunity for our members, friends and supporters to all be in one place at the same time (a real challenge given the vastness of the convention center and the number of concurrent sessions).  I want to again acknowledge our generous sponsors for the event:

The Social Science Research Council

Sexuality Research Fellowship

 

Human Sexuality Program, Widener University

 

Program in Human Sexuality, University of Minnesota

 

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States

 

 

 Goteborg Sweden was selected as the site for the Congress in 2009.  The General Assembly adopted the budget and ethical guidelines and, perhaps most significantly, voted to change the name to The World Association of Sexual Health (no, not WASH- it will remain WAS).

 

Past SSSS Presidents Eli Coleman and Beverly Whipple steered the Congress admirably through the week but also took time to represent SSSS and recruit new members.  A special thanks to both of them.

 

Suffice to say, SSSS has never had the level of exposure and influence at any previous World Congress.  I am thrilled that we made that courageous (and some said risky) decision back in San Diego in 2001 to support this endeavor.  It was very beneficial to our organization and one of our proudest moments.  

 

 

Prizes Announced from World Congress in Montreal!

 

Drawings were held recently from the new members who joined SSSS

 at the World Congress in Montreal. 

 

Grand Prize Winner:  K. Jod Taywaditep (Chicago, IL) who will receive free registration to our next Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, NV.  November 9-12, 2006

 

First Prize:  Bani Hines-Hudson (Louisville, KY) who received The Continuum Complete International Encyclopedia of Sexuality.

 

Second Prize:  Ivan Arango de Montis (Mexico) who received Vern Bullough’s book, Science in the Bedroom:  A History of Sex Research.

 

Congratulations to the above winners and to the daily prize winners, all of whom received books from SSSS Member’s.  Special thanks to Ray Noonan, Robert Francoeur and Vern Bullough for their donations to SSSS.

                

Briefly Noted

Sexuality in the News

Policy and Advocacy (reprinted from www.siecus.org)

Prevention First Introduced in House of Representatives Without REAL Prevention

On April 19, Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY) took the lead in introducing the Prevention First bill (HR 1709) in the United States House of Representatives. Like its companion bill in the Senate, S 20, this bill includes a number of important elements for reproductive and sexual health. For example, it includes access to emergency contraception in emergency rooms for rape victims, funding for an emergency contraception education project, condom non-disparagement requirements that ensure accurate information about condoms, equity in insurance coverage for contraception, and vitally needed dollars for family planning programs.

In the Senate, Prevention First was introduced in early January by the Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and was used as a tool to underscore the overall message and policy priorities of the Democratic leadership during the 109th Congress. In the House, it is a bipartisan bill, with Republicans Nancy Johnson and Robert Simmons, both of Connecticut, joining Rep. Slaughter and 47 additional Democratic colleagues in introducing the bill.

While there is much to recommend in both bills, advocates of the frontline of prevention-those involved in sexuality education and sexual health promotion programs-were cut out of the picture. Previous versions of prevention packages introduced in the House and Senate included support for sexuality education programs by incorporating the Family Life Education Act (FLEA). Now known as the Responsible Education About Life Act, or REAL, this provision would have established a funding stream for a comprehensive approach to sexuality education. No such funding stream currently exists at the federal level, however, three streams exist for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs providing nearly $170 million in the current fiscal year. Nonetheless, these bills were introduced without this component and the House followed suit.

"We were extremely disappointed that Rep. Slaughter decided to abandon the inclusion of the REAL Act in Prevention First," said SIECUS' vice president for public policy Bill Smith. "We communicated frequently with her office before the bill was introduced and mobilized grass roots in her district and in her home state, but her office insisted that they wanted a bill that directly mirrored the Senate version."

Normally, having identical bills introduced and passed in the House and Senate can avoid the difficult task of reconciling the differences in a conference. However, the prospect for passage of the bills in either chamber is highly unlikely.

"The policymakers did an end run around the advocacy groups on this one, and while we entirely support the bill; at the end of the day the cost for abandoning a key provision of prevention will be less advocacy around the bill," Smith said.

 

New Awards Established

The Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR) has established two new awards to be given to the author(s) or editor(s) of the best works published in English related to the understanding and treatment of sexual disorders: one addressed to the public, and the other to health professionals.  The awards will be named: The SSTAR Book Award (Consumer) and The SSTAR Book Award (Health Professional). Details concerning the awards have been posted to the SSTAR Web site (http://www.sstarnet.org)

SIECUS Releases State Profiles on Abstinence-Only and Sexuality Education Programs:

SIECUS State Profiles represents the most complete portrait ever assembled of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs and their intersection with sexuality education programs in the United States. This publication includes individual profiles for every state and the District of Columbia that are intended to serve as a guide and major resource for advocates, policymakers, and other interested parties. This first edition includes information from federal fiscal year 2003, which encompasses October 1, 2002 to September 30, 2003. For more information and to view the state profiles, please see www.siecus.org/policy/states/index.html

 

Foundation for the Scientific Study of Sexuality

 

FSSS and You

 

Did you know that since 1989, the Foundation for the Scientific Study of Sexuality has contributed more than $15,000 to SSSS to support the major plenary addresses at the Annual Meetings? Each year, the FSSS Julius H and Naomi Winer Fund for Sexual Science and Public Policy underwrites the cost of this event by providing travel funds and an honorarium so that a distinguished scholar can be chosen to make these outstanding contributions at the Annual Meeting.

 

FSSS Announces Annual Best Book Prize

 

The Foundation for the Scientific Study of Sexuality has announced the creation of Bonnie and Vern L. Bullough Award. The Award will be given annually to the author(s) of the most distinguished book written during the preceding year for the professional sexological community. The purpose of the Award is to encourage and to recognize outstanding scholarship in the field of sexology. A prize of $500 and a plaque will be given to the recipient. The Award is supported by the FSSS Bonnie Bullough Endowment Fund.

 

Authors, publishers, or individuals wanting to bring recognition to a book they have read may submit nominations for the Award. Details concerning the nomination procedure may be obtained from FSSS by contacting the FSSS office at 317 Scott Ave., Syracuse, NY 13224 or sending an e-mail to Clive Davis at cmd@psych.syr.edu.The winner of each year’s award will be announced in July, and the official presentation will occur at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality.

 

FSSS Memorial Giving Program

 

The FSSS Memorial Giving Program provides a mechanism for honoring the memory of a loved one or a deceased colleague. It is also a means for honoring a living person on a birthday, anniversary, retirement, or other special occasion. When you make a donation, the person you designate receives a memorial card indicating that a contribution has been made to FSSS in honor of the identified person and, as appropriate, the occasion.

 

FSSS and You

 

Did you know that a major focus of the Foundation for the Scientific Study of Sexuality is the support of SSSS student members? Each year, FSSS provides the financial support for at least two student research proposals. It is a priority of FSSS to expand its support for students as additional funds become available. Contributions to FSSS can be designated to support the SSSS student research awards.

 

To make a contribution to FSSS or to obtain more information, contact the FSSS office at 317 Scott Ave., Syracuse, NY 13224 or send e-mail to Clive Davis at cmd@psych.syr.edu. A minimum contribution of $10 is requested. The donated funds are deposited in the general endowment of FSSS unless otherwise designated.

 

Student Focus

Accountability Issues in Adolescent Sexuality

By:  John Lee Baker, Jr., M.A.; Student Member

 

Adolescence is a period of brisk growth when young people acquire new capacities and are confronted with many new situations.  This presents not only opportunities for advancement but also risks to health and personal well-being. As adolescents face the challenges of their most crucial peer-pressured life, a little help can go a long way in focusing their energy towards positive and productive paths.  Abandonment of adolescents can lead to problems, both immediately and in prospective years.  One of the most salient commitments a country can make for future economic, social and political progress and stability is to tackle the health and development needs of its youth.  Who is accountable for the management of adolescent needs?  . 

 

Today's environment offers adolescents both significant opportunities and risks to their health.  According to the 2004 Annie E. Casey Kids Count data, adolescents make up about 20% of the world's population. 

 

Adolescents are now poised to take advantage of attending more advanced schools and benefit from technological progress.  Yet at the same time, the lives of millions of adolescents are blemished by poverty, inadequate education, work opportunities, sexual exploitation, plus ethnic and gender discrimination.

 

Rapid urbanization, telecommunication, and aspects of travel outside of their neighborhoods, bring both new potential and new risks to adolescents. These risks include, but are not limited to, harmful ideologies concerning body image, relationships, lack of cultural sensitivity, and sexual predation.  Many adolescents fail to understand the physiological benefits of spending time in a less stressful environment, because they have always inhabited the opposite setting.  These conditions may directly endanger health, and may also influence a deterioration of the traditional social support that helps young people plan for, negotiate and investigate the opportunities, and demands of their ascension to adulthood.

 

Additionally, society's expectations of behaviors, roles, access to resources, and prospects for development, vary for adolescent boys and girls by virtue of sexism perpetuated by school administrators, clubs, and especially parents. The negative influence of poor family and cultural values, earlier puberty and the incidence of earlier marriage, all extend the risks of unprotected and precocious sexual activity in adolescents.  In the United States, sexually transmitted diseases and infections, including HIV/AIDS, Chlamydia, and Gonorrhea, pose enormous health risks to adolescents.  According to the Reproductive Health Outlook (RHO) developing countries, have up to 60 percent of new HIV infections that are among 15- to 24-year-olds, with generally twice as many new infections in young women than young men.

 

Newark, New Jersey has astronomical STD/STI rates.  Sixty-three percent of female adolescents ages 14-24 have had an STD or STI in their lifetime at least once.  In comparison, only eighteen percent of their male counterparts have had an STD or STI in their lifetime.  But sixty percent of males ages 25-40 (in Newark) have had an STD or STI.  This signals a serious reality that these female adolescents and young adults are having sexual relations with older men.  Although I am unaware of any data that can conclusively support this statement, I see it occurring on the streets of Newark, NJ, Jackson, MS, Savannah, GA, Atlanta, GA and throughout the Five Boroughs of New York City through random observations.  Who is accountable?

 

There is no such thing as safe sex between two or more people.  There are only safer sexual encounters.  Participants of sexual activities must, at the least, engage in contraceptive use to protect both themselves, and their partners.  Society must force itself to focus upon the harsh fact that largely male-dominated society is exacerbating many risky sexually behavior problems concerning adolescent boys and girls. 

 

Although we know many of the problems, we must begin to focus on the solutions.  Men must become more socially and ethically responsible for being the protectors of womanhood, and set better standards for adolescent boys and girls.  Women must also question whether their sexuality-related behaviors and decisions will influence positive sexuality behavior upon adolescents within their lives.

 

Just as there are different seasons on earth, there are also different seasons in an adolescent’s life.  Rhetoric must be dismissed and replaced with positive action.  This action consists of the proper dissemination of healthier and comprehensive sexuality education.

 

In the words of Dr. Byron E. Price, “Politicians talk about the vast improvements within U.S. public schools, but their children don’t attend these schools.”  Our country is at the crossroads of progression and/or regression.  The accountability rests with parents, adolescents and the community at-large.  The parents and community members must take the forefront in guiding healthier behavioral and social maturity for our youth.  Movement toward improvement of our community begins with positive, socially conscious action within our own homes. 

Opportunity Alert!

Research Funding

The Isis Fund For Sex-Based Biology Research

The Society for Women’s Health Research provides funding for research on the impact of sex differences. They seek to establish interdisciplinary research networks between scientists working in diverse areas. Currently, the funding streams cover two topic areas: neuroscience and metabolism.  Please note that membership in the networks is by invitation only. For further information, contact Vivian Simon at Viviana@womenshealthresearch.org

Job Opening at SEICUS

The Sexuality Education and Information Council of the United States is seeking a Director of International Programs. This position requires a Masters Degree; international family planning, sexuality education, or related health education experience; 3-5 years of progressively responsible management experience; oral and written fluency in Spanish and excellent writing, speaking, and publications skills.

To apply for this position, mail or fax cover letter and resume to: Human Resources, International Department, SIECUS, 130 West 42nd Street, Suite 350, New York, NY 10036; Fax: 212/819-9776.

 

Upcoming Events, Meetings, etc.

SSSS Annual Meeting:

47^th Annual Meeting -  ü  Mark your calendars!

November 9-12, 2006, Las Vegas Hilton -  Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

 

SSSS Regional Meetings:

 SSSS Eastern & Mid-Continent Regions Conference

Child, Adolescent, and Elder Sexual Expression:  Countering Myth with Scientific Fact.  November 3-6, 2005, at the J.W. Marriott Lenox Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

To view the Preliminary Program, please click on the following link:  http://sexscience.org/uploads/media/ER_-_MR_Preliminary_Program_2005.pdf

 

SSSS Western Region Conference

The Joys of Sexuality:  Positive Meanings in Diverse Contexts. 

April 6-9, 2006 at The Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach & Marina Hotel – Redondo Beach, California, USA

 

 

Other Sexuality Conferences:

 

Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR) 2005 - Fall Clinical Meeting

September 16, 2005, Penn Club of New York City.  More information is available at:  www.sstarnet.org

 

International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH)

October 27-30, 2005; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.  More information can be found at:  http://www.isswsh.org/

 

American Association of Sex Educators Counselors & Therapists (AASSECT) Gumbo Sexualite:  Spicing Up Education and Therapy

June 27 – July 1, 2006; Sheraton French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.  Please contact www.aasect.org for more information.

Call For Papers

 

 

SSSS Western Region Conference

The Joys of Sexuality:  Positive Meanings in Diverse Contexts. 

April 6-9, 2006 at The Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach & Marina Hotel – Redondo Beach, California, USA.

Deadline for Submissions: October 5, 2005

 

There will be a variety of joyful events: media, food/libations, social events and excursions. We hope that you will become part of the intellectual stimulation and social celebration that this conference will offer. For more information, please contact the organizers or go to:  https://host97.ipowerweb.com/~globalsa/SSSS-Call-2006.html

Program Chair: Kathy Sisson, M.A. (kisson@comcast.net)
Conference Chair: David S. Hall, Ph.D. (airsafe1@comcast.net)
President: Suzanne Frayser, Ph.D. (sfrayser@earthlink.net)

Wired! Sexuality Websites of Interest

http://watson.apa.org/cprpublicpetition/cprpublicpetition.cfm

This website link is vitally important to the continued funding of the sexuality research projects of SSSS members. At this address, you can add your name to the petition to be presented to Congress in support of sustained funding. The petition is sponsored by the Coalition to Protect Research, of which SSSS is a charter member.

Over the last year, scientific organizations have been working to defend the research priorities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the agency that funds nearly $28 billion in public health research each year.  At the same time, there has been a marked increase in Congressional concerns about the appropriateness of NIH funding decisions for grants that were approved through NIH's rigorous merit review process, the gold standard for determining research funding allocations worldwide. 
 
In July 2003, the House of Representatives even voted on an amendment that would have cut off funding from five specific peer-reviewed grants that some members of Congress decided were not scientifically relevant or deserving of federal funds. While the vote failed, congressional pressure on NIH to change its funding decisions continues.

 In response to congressional inquiries, NIH Director Elias Zerhouni conducted a comprehensive review of the NIH's human sexuality research portfolio. He concluded that the research projects in question were appropriately reviewed and that NIH's human sexuality portfolio, the main target of congressional inquiries, is not funded disproportionately to the public health burden of diseases linked to sexual behavior and sexual function such as HIV/AIDS, STIs or infertility.  Further, there is abundant evidence of the importance of behavior in the prevalence and severity of some of our major, and most costly chronic diseases (including STIs), and understanding better how to influence behavior is urgently needed.  

 

Take the time to sign your name to this petition. The sanctity of the peer-reviewed research process is at stake.

REMINDER!!!!!!!!!

Deadline for submissions for the next edition is October 1, 2005. Please send all submissions to: TheSociety@sexscience.org.  

**Please write Sexual Science in the subject heading.