Experts to Gather at U of G for Annual Sex Conference
June 10, 2011 - News Release
The Guelph Sexuality Conference, Canada’s largest and longest-running sexual health forum, will take place June 13 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the University of Guelph’s Rozanski Hall.
The 33rd annual conference will bring together more than 200 researchers, nurses, physicians, public health workers, therapists, students, social workers and other health professionals from across North America.
This year’s program offers six half-day workshops run by sexual health promotion experts under the theme “Sexuality in Transition: Key Learning for Professional Practice.”
“This enhanced workshop format will provide greater opportunity for interaction between participants and for practical skill development,” said Robin Milhausen, a professor and sexuality researcher at U of G and the event program chair.
“We wanted to target key areas of emphasis in sexual health promotion, such as developing effective health promotion messages using social and new media. The conference workshops are also focused on ways of working more effectively, and respectfully, with trans persons, youth, gay men and ethnic minorities. Finally, one of our most popular workshops ― ‘Contraception Update’ ― will be offered again, focusing on emerging trends in contraceptive practice, current research, and new technologies and products.”
Workshops will run as follows:
• “Communicating Effective Sexual Health Messages”
• “Sexual Health Promotion at the Margins: Trans Canadians Taking Control of Our Health”
• “The Other ‘F’ Word: Working with Teens’ Feelings in the Context of Sexual Health Promotion”
• “Contraception Update”
• “Syndemics, Resilience and Needed Changes in Gay Men’s HIV Prevention”
• “Lost Love: What Is Missing From Sexual Health Education for Black African, Caribbean and Canadian Youth Residing in Low Socio-Economic Communities.”
Also running June 13 will be the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) clinical update program. This daylong workshop series for nurses, doctors and other public health professionals will discuss new treatment and management of STIs, including contraception issues.
Beginning June 13, a five-day intensive sex therapy training program will provide training in sex counselling and therapy for practising clinicians and graduate students. More information is available online.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, 519-824-4120, Ext. 53338, lhunt@uoguelph.ca, or Deirdre Healey, Ext. 56982, d.healey@exec.uoguelph.ca.
