About this event

  • Date and time Tue 25 Jun 2019 from 9:00am to 5:30pm
  • Location Royal Society of Medicine
  • Organised by Sexuality and Sexual Health Section

This event summarises the state of the art in Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) diagnosis and treatment, presenting strategies for collaborative care while also grappling with the ethical issues inherent in FSD management. Join a range of expert speakers in the field as they provide all participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to provide up-to-date care and advocacy for women’s sexual health concerns.

Why is Female Sexual Dysfunction Interdisciplinary? 

Female Sexual Dysfunction is a subject of great and growing interest to healthcare providers and patients alike. Its importance cuts across disciplines: an understanding of FSD is relevant for practitioners of general medicine, gynaecology, urology, and psychiatry. In addition to being an opportunity for creative clinical collaboration, it is also the fulcrum for exciting research in anatomy, endocrinology, neuroscience, and social science.

How does Female Sexual Dysfunction cause controversy?

Many argue that FSD is an 'invented illness' that pathologises and stigmatises normal variation in genital and psychosexual health, motivating unscrupulous “wellness gurus” to sell unproven and even dangerous treatments to vulnerable consumers.  This event summarizes the state of the art in FSD diagnosis and treatment, presenting strategies for collaborative care while also grappling with the ethical issues inherent in FSD management. 

Other topics include:

  • Past, present, and future changes in diagnostic terminology for FSD 
  • Epidemiology of FSD 
  • FSD diagnosis and treatment through the stages of sexual response 
  • Contributions of different clinical disciplines to FSD workup and treatment 
  • The social and historical context of FSD, providing patient-centred and culturally-informed care 
  • The scientific evidence for use of popular FSD remedies (e.g. “vaginal rejuvenation” technologies)  

We would like to thank our exhibitor(s):

UCB Pharma and Cynosure UK Ltd

Please note that none of the companies listed have had any influence or involvement over the agenda, content or organisation of this meeting.

Key speakers

Dr. Kevan Wylie

Professor of Sexual Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Sheffield
President, World Association of Sexual Health

Miss Swati Jha

Consultant gynaecologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Chair of the British Society of Urogynaecology

Dr. Helen King

Historian, Professor Emerita of Classical Studies at the Open University

Agenda

View the programme

Registration, tea and coffee
Welcome and introduction

Session one: What we talk about when we talk about female sexual dysfunction

Evolution of nomenclature: International classification of diseases vs diagnostic and statistical manual for mental disorders vs diagnostic and statistical manual for mental disorders/international society for the study of women's sexual health

Dr Karl Hollows, Associate Specialist, Sexual Health Medicine and Honorary Clinical Lecturer, Keele University

Epidemiology: Who, what and when?

Dr Kristin Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow, University of Glasgow

"Vaginal rejuvenation" and pseudoscience for sale: A critique

Miss Swati Jha, Consultant Urogynaecologist, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

Question and answer session
Tea and coffee break

Session two: Dysfunction through the sexual response cycle

Desire dysfunction: Diagnosis and treatments

Dr Karen Gurney, Clinical Psychologist and Psychosexologist and Director, The Havelock Clinic

Arousal dysfunction: Diagnosis and treatments

Ms Claudine Domoney, Clinical Effectiveness Lead and Lead Consultant, Community Gynaecology and Perineal Services, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Orgasm dysfunction: Diagnosis and treatments

Professor Kevan Wylie, President, European Federation of Sexology

Question and answer session
Lunch

Session three: Different approaches to the patient with female sexual dysfunction

Psychotherapist: Workup and treatment

Dr Angela Gregory, Psychosexual Therapist,  Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Physiotherapist: Workup and treatment

Ms Sarah Wolujewicz, Clinical Lead, Pelvic Health Physiotherapy, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Medical doctor: Workup and treatment

Dr Penny Goold, Consultant Physician, Genito-Urinary and HIV Medicine, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Question and answer session
Tea and coffee break

Session four: Controversial topics in female sexual dysfunction

Talking about Female Genital Mutilation: GP perspectives in the context of recent English policy

Dr Sharon Dixon, National Institute for Health Research In-Practice Fellow, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

Medicalisation of female sexual dysfunction: A historical perspective

Professor Helen King, Professor Emerita, Classical Studies, The Open University and Visiting Professor, Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick

Question and answer session
Future topics
Close of meeting

Location

Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole St, Marylebone, London, W1G 0AE, United Kingdom