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contemporary
American Association
of Sexuality Educators,
Counselors and
Therapists
November 2010
sexuality
Vol. 44, No. 11
The international resource for educators, researchers and therapists
In this
issue...
News of
Members . . . . . . . .2
Amy Elwood
publishes new papers
Member Spotlight . .3
Meet Barbara
Levinson from
Houston, Tex.
Quick Hits:
Sex in the News . .7
Birth control
methods not always
taught to teens
Educational
Opportunities . . . .9
Braveman leads
worskhop in Salinas,
Calif. on Dec. 9
Suffering in silence
S
Vaginal pain affects
many women, but
they often don’t
talk about it
he’s typically a vibrant 55year-old woman, full of
life, but experiencing marital woes. She loves her partner,
but she’s doesn’t want to have
sexual intercourse with him.
It hurts too much.
The reason: Vaginal irritation
or discomfort caused by a drop
in estrogen after menopause.
“She’s in severe pain,” says
Michael Krychman, MD, and an
AASECT-certified
sexuality
counselor. “She has no interest
in sexual activity and it’s affecting her marriage.”
Many
of
Krychman’s
patients are post-menopausal
women suffering from vaginal
dryness or other conditions that
result in dyspareunia, which is
the medical term for pain during
sexual intercourse. Although
few obstetrician/gynecologists
(OB/GYNs) like Krychman specialize in vaginal irritation due
to reasons other than lack of
arousal, it’s not uncommon.
According to a 2008 survey
of 1,006 women ages 45-65, Michael Krychman
about one in four postmenopausal women reported pain during intercourse. The survey, titled “REVEAL: Revealing
Vaginal Effect At Mid-Life” was paid for by
Wyeth, which is now part of Pfizer.
Of those who experienced dyspareunia, 36
percent said it was so painful it interrupted or
halted intercourse.
“It’s much more common and much more
prevalent than most people would believe,”
Krychman says.
A 2009 study published in the Journal of
Sexual Medicine examined
prevalence rates worldwide. In
“Vaginal Dryness: A Comparison of Prevalence and
Interventions in 11 Countries,”
written by the late Sandra
Leiblum, PhD, Richard Hayes,
PhD, and co-authors, vaginal
dryness ranged from a high of
nearly 20 percent in Brazil to a
low of 6 percent in Italy.
Among women ages 50-65
years old, the percentage of
women who complained that
vaginal dryness was “very
bothersome” ranged from 20
percent or more in Germany,
Brazil and Argentina to less
than 10 percent in the U.K.
Spain and Japan.
The United States was not
included in the Leiblum study.
However, a 2000 study published by Gloria Bachmann,
MD, an OB/GYN at Rutgers
Medical School, and Nicole
Nevadunksy, MD, At Yeshiva
University, estimated that 40
percent of postmenopausal
women suffered from atrophic
vaginitis caused by a lack of
(“Diagnosis and Treatment of
Vaginitis,”
American
Family
estrogen.
Atrophic
Physician.)
No matter the exact number of women with
vaginal dryness (or other forms of vaginal pain),
they tend not to talk about it with friends, family or physicians.
“The vast majority of women are suffering in
silence,” Krychman says.
continued on page 4
contemporary
News of Members
my Ellwood (Las Vegas, Nev.), professor of Family
Medicine and Psychiatry at the University of Nevada
School of Medicine, has several new publications. Her
review of Woman-Centered Care in Pregnancy and
Childbirth by Sara Shields and Lucy Candib was published in
Annals of Behavioral Science and Medical Education. Three
of her articles have also been published: Safety and Respectful
Treatment of Medical Students and Residents, published in
Academic Psychiatry; Walk a Mile in My Moccasins, published through NYU School of Medicine Department of
Medical Humanities; and Doctors No Longer Use a Horse
and Buggy, but Some Still Make House Calls, at MD Consult.
Talli Rosenbaum (Bet Shemesh, Israel), an AASECT-certified sexuality counselor and physical therapist, specializing
in pelvic floor rehabilitation, has recently completed her
MSc in Clinical Sociology/Counseling at the Jerusalem campus of the University of North Texas. As a requirement for
the degree, Rosenbaum spent one year interning at the
Family Institute in Jerusalem.
Dawn Decker (Los Angeles, Calif.) successfully completed her doctorate at Pepperdine University, Graduate School
of Education and Psychology. Her dissertation was on
Clinical Supervision and Addressing the Sexual Needs of
Clients: A Preliminary Investigation.
Larry Siegel (Boynton Beach, Fla.) was approved by the
board as Leader of the new AASECT Special Interest Group
(SIG) - Medical Sexology.
Debbie Bazarsky (Lambertville, N.J.) was certified as
both AASECT sexuality educator and counselor. The following members were certified as AASECT Sex Therapists:
Isbelia Segnini (Miami, Fla.), Rachel Pearson (Wichita,
Kans.), Katherine Ellin (Cambridge, Mass.), Carol Clark
(Miami, Fla.), Scott Gornto (Frisco, Tex.), Kate McNulty
(Portland, Ore.), Eve Boyer (San Diego, Calif.), Lucy
Raizman (Wyncote, Pa.), Jan Butterbrodt (Oshkosh, Wisc.),
Ann Marie McNeil (Boynton Beach, Fla.) and Patricia
Cononors (Brookfield, Wisc.). Congratulations to you all.
We are happy to welcome 38 new and returning AASECT
members: Luis Rojas (San Juan, Puerto Rico), Anne Karcher
(Soledad, Calif.), Dawn Michael (Thousand Oaks, Calif.),
Matthew Brittain (Hilo, Hawaii), Kate McNulty (Portland,
Ore.), Gloria Lynne Henricks (Albany, Ore.), Travis Damico
(Seattle, Wash.), Arlene Oliver (Olympia, Wash.), Monica
Houttuin (Union, Mo.), R. Scott Gornto (Frisco, Tex.), Carm
De Santis (Guelph, Ontario, Canada), Caitlin McCarthy
(Palo Alto, Calif.), Britney Blair (San Francisco, Calif.),
Missy Young Perry (Woodbury, Minn.), Courtney Kuhn
(Omaha, Nebr.), Kristal Walenz (Omaha, Nebr.), Dana Riger
(Hempstead, N.Y.), Dov Finkelstein (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Dorian
Mintzer (Boston, Mass.), Maria Falzone (Burke, Va.), Jodi
Wachspress (Modiin, Israel), Mark Orth (Brainerd, Minn.),
Heather Jenny (Omaha, Nebr.), Stacey Dean (Oklahoma
City, Okla.), Charlyn Prather-Levinson (St. Louis, Mo.),
Kathleen Scarbo (Kapaa, Hawaii), Molly Roha (Azusa,
A
sexuality
Founder
AASECT Board of Directors
President
President Elect
Secretary
Treasurer
Membership Steering Chair
Certification Steering Chair
Outreach Steering Chair
Public Relations, Media &
Advocacy Steering Committee
Professional Education Steering
Committee Chair
Communications Steering Chair
Immediate Past President
Regional Representatives
Eastern Region
Mid-Continent Region
Western Region
International Region
President’s Committees
Personnel Committee Chair
Ethics Advisory Committee Chair
Awards Committee Chair
Bylaws Committee Chair
Nominations Committee Chair
Certification Committee Chairs
Sexuality Counselors
Sexuality Educators
Sex Therapists
Sex Therapy Supervisors
Diplomate of Sex Therapy
Contemporary Sexuality
Editor-in-Chief
Editor for Book and
Media Reviews
Editor for Continuing
Education Articles
Editorial Advisors
Senior Writer/
Production Manager
Patricia Schiller, MA, JD
William W. Finger, PhD
Michele Sugg, MSW, LCSW, CST
Ricky Siegel, MS
Debra W. Haffner, MPH, MDiv
Hani Miletski, MSW, PhD
Erika Pluhar, PhD, EdS
Sabitha Pillai-Friedman, MSW, PhD
Michael McGee, MEd
Don Dyson, PhD
Wayne Pawlowski, ACSW, LICSW
Helen “Ginger” Bush, MSW
Linda Lotz, MSW, PhD
Linda Weiner, MSW
Stephanie Buehler, PsyD
D. Narayana Reddy, MD, PhD
Triste Brooks, MS
Andrew S. Walters, PhD, MPH
Joan Sughrue, MEd, RN
Maria D’Errico, JD, PhD
Helen “Ginger” Bush, MSW
Mitch Tepper, PhD
Cory Silverberg, MEd
Dennis Detweiler, LSCSW
Stephen Braveman, MA, LMFT, DST
Daniel Watter, EdD
Allyson Sandak, MA
Yvonne Fulbright, PhD
Gina Ogden, PhD
Sarah Beshers, PhD; Yvonne Fulbright, PhD;
Marty Klein, PhD; Dug Y. Lee, MA; Annette Owens,
MD, PhD; Richard Sprott, PhD; Bill Taverner,
MA; Beverly Whipple, PhD, RN, FAAN
Todd Melby, MSJ
Contemporary Sexuality is a monthly publication of the American Association of Sexuality
Educators, Counselors and Therapists, 1444 I Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005;
phone: 202-449-1099; fax: 202-216-9646. Please address all membership and subscription
queries and editorial correspondence to this address. If you have comments, please contact
Editor-in-Chief Allyson Sandak at [email protected].
© 2010 The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. All
rights reserved. The views expressed in Contemporary Sexuality represent individual opinions; they do not represent the official opinions of AASECT, its Board of Directors or its staff.
COPYRIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS: Written permission must be obtained from the
Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), UMI Company, or UnCover Company for copying articles/parts of articles. Contact: CCC, (508) 750-8400; UMI, (800) 521-0600; or UnCover
(800) 787-7979. Those desiring to use articles for classroom use should contact CCC.
Permissions for republication of quotes, charts, tables, figures and pages of text are normally granted contingent upon similar permission from the author(s), inclusion of acknowledgment of the original source, and payment to CCC of the appropriate fee. Queries regarding
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Drive, Danver, MA 01923, U.S.A., phone (508) 750-8400, fax (508) 750-4744, e-mail:
[email protected].
continued on page 6
2 Contemporary Sexuality
www.aasect.org | November 2010 Vol. 44, No. 11
Member Spotlight
Barbara Levinson, PhD, RN
(Houston, Tex.)
Member Spotlight is a monthly column offering
an opportunity for AASECT members to get to
know more about each other. Each month, a different member’s story will be introduced. If you
would like to recommend someone to be interviewed for this column, please contact Hani
Miletski, PhD, MSW, Membership Steering
Committee chair, at [email protected].
B
arbara Levinson joined AASECT in 1995
and later attended her first SAR. She served
on the board of directors for five years
(2000-2005) as District III representative.
Levinson is an AASECT-certified sex therapist
diplomate and supervisor, a licensed marriage
and family therapist, a licensed sex offender
treatment provider, a certified sex addiction therapist and supervisor, a clinical nurse specialist,
and a level two practitioner of Eye Movement
Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
She is well-known in Houston for her work in
sex addiction, sexual offenses, paraphilic sexual
disorders and the treatment of sexual issues for
individuals and couples.
“I enjoy challenges and have been known to
create space in my schedule for particularly difficult cases,” Levinson says.
Levinson’s journey began at the age of 17
while working the night shift at a hospital in
Queens, N.Y.
“I dove into the psychiatric world head first
and have stayed there ever since,” she says.
After graduating from nursing school in 1969,
Levinson worked at Bronx State Hospital, where
she attended classes alongside the psychiatric residents at the Tremont Crisis Center. Levinson was
the crisis team leader there for 12 years.
The training program at Tremont required
working with an outside agency and Levinson
selected the police department as her placement.
For the next two years, she spent Friday nights on
police ride-alongs, gaining valuable insight into
the officers’ perspective about what was going on.
“I later learned that the police officers would
often draw straws to see who would get the nurses
for the night,” Levinson says. “I am not sure if the
men we rode with were the winners or the losers.”
Levinson was trained extensively in Structural
Strategic Family Therapy and Systems Therapy.
She worked with a team, using Paradoxical
Therapy. “I was supervised by people behind a
one-way mirror,” Levinson explains, “and often
the supervisor would come into the room to
‘drop a bomb’ and leave. I got used to having my
work scrutinized and quickly got over any insecurities I had about my abilities as a therapist.”
After working full time and going to school,
Levinson graduated with a Master’s in psychiatric nursing from Hunter College in New York,
in 1978. She then worked at Harlem Valley
Psychiatric Center, eventually becoming the
director of the outpatient clinic, while working
on the weekends in the emergency room at a
local hospital for two years.
In the next four years, Levinson worked in various leadership positions at a Florida hospital
before moving to Dallas to become the director of
clinical services at a new psychiatric hospital, where
she hired department heads, developed policies and
procedures and clinical training programs.
Levinson then decided to pursue a PhD in nursing from the University of Texas at Austin, while
working as a night supervisor at Austin State
Hospital. A year later, Levinson moved to
Houston and became the director of nursing at
Belle Park Psychiatric Hospital, while commuting
to Austin once a week to finish her doctoral work.
For her dissertation, Levinson developed a
tool for measuring victim empathy in sex offenders. She further developed treatment programs
for sex offenders and for victims of sexual abuse.
Levinson became the first treatment provider
in Houston to treat sexually violent predators,
and she counseled judges, attorneys and police
officers about sex offenders.
In 1991, Levinson opened her private practice, The Center for Healthy Sexuality.
“The diversity of my practice,” she says,
“keeps me looking forward to work each day.”
Levinson runs groups for sex offenders and sexually addicted men and women, as well as weekend intensives. She utilizes a multidisciplinary
approach to treatment, working closely with
physicians, physical therapists, practitioners of
alternative medicine and personal trainers.
Levinson presented at many national, professional conferences, including AASECT. She has
appeared on numerous radio and television programs, and for a while had a spot called “Ask Dr.
Barbara” on local television.
Levinson has authored several articles and
chapters on sexual addiction and compulsivity.
Her latest article, Sex Offender or Sex Addict?
was published in The American Association for
Marriage and Family Therapy’s Family Therapy,
January/February 2010.
Levinson loves drama. When she was
younger, Levinson was on the radio and in many
school plays. “I have continued to use my flair
for humor and the absurd when I teach and even
when I do therapy,” she says.
November 2010 Vol. 44, No. 11 | www.aasect.org
“I have continued
to use my flair for
humor and the
absurd when I teach
and even when I do
therapy.”
— Barbara Levinson
continued on page 6
Contemporary Sexuality 3
Vaginal Pain
continued from page 1
“If a 40-something
or 50-something
woman is
experiencing
vaginal pain, she’s
probably thinking,
‘I must be dry.
I must have another
yeast infection.’
They don’t know
what else to call it.”
— Susan
Kellogg-Spadt
Dryness and other causes of vaginal pain
Older women aren’t the only ones with vaginal dryness. Sometimes younger, pre-menopausal
women have bouts of dryness caused by health
issues or medication.
When the ovaries are removed because of
endometriosis, vaginal dryness can result. It may
also be a side effect of some hormonal contraceptives and medications used to treat acne,
breast cancer and seasonal allergies. For example, antihistamines that dry up runny noses allergic to ragweed can cause dryness elsewhere.
“The vagina is a mucus membrane,” says
Andrew Goldstein, MD, an OB/GYN physician
and director of the Centers for Vulvovaginal
Disorders in New York City, Annapolis and
Washington, D.C.
And therefore, it too dries out when antihistamines are used.
Susan Kellogg-Spadt, CRNP, PhD, is a registered nurse practitioner and AASECT-certified
sexuality educator. As cofounder of the Pelvic
and Sexual Health Institute in Philadelphia, she
believes it’s important that women and health
care providers understand that there’s more to
female sexual problems than dryness.
“If a 40-something or 50-something woman
is experiencing vaginal pain, she’s probably
thinking, ‘I must be dry. I must have another
yeast infection,’” Kellogg-Spadt says. “They
don’t know what else to call it.”
In fact, Kellogg-Spadt says vaginal irritation
or pain may not be caused by dryness, but by one
of several other factors, including:
• “Provoked Vestibulodynia (PVD): This condition is strongly suspected when the glands and/or
tissues at the opening of the vagina are chronically inflamed. This condition can produce burning and stinging with attempted penetration.
• Vaginitis: There are several types of vaginal
infections (both fungal and bacterial) that can
result in feelings of vaginal dryness as well as
rawness, irritation, pain and/or vaginal discharge. Most cases of vaginitis can be treated but
must be properly diagnosed (which may require
cultures and/or biopsies).
• Hypertonic Pelvic Floor Muscles: The muscles underlying the vagina, vulva and rectum
become spastic, which affects function. The
woman may be unable to comfortably engage in
several activities of daily living, including urination, defecation, intercourse and prolonged sitting.
• Dermatitis/dermatoses: In some women, the
4 Contemporary Sexuality
Susan Kellogg-Spadt
genital skin develops a plaque-like condition and
feels dry, irritated, itchy, raw and nonelastic. The
architecture of the skin can actually change and
affect sexual function as well as daily comfort.”
Adds Kellogg-Spadt, “In the proper hands, all
of these conditions can be treated.”
Treating Vaginal Pain
Until 2002, estrogen replacement therapy was
the standard treatment for vaginal pain. That
summer, the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
stopped a major clinical trial on the risks and
benefits of estrogen and progestin in healthy
menopausal women due to an increased risk of
invasive breast cancer.
“Consequently, nonhormonal alternatives
such as personal lubricants have attracted
increasing attention,” write Leiblum and Hayes
in their 2009 study.
In addition to lubricants, some doctors have
prescribed conjugated estrogen (CE) cream to
postmenopausal women. A 2009 study published
in Menopause by Bachmann and seven coauthors found that 0.3 mg dose used just twice a
week is as effective as applying the same cream
every day.
The study, titled “Efficacy and safety of lowdose regimens of conjugated estrogens cream
administered vaginally,” was a double-blind,
placebo-controlled study with 423 participants,
ages 45-80. The results: Women who received the
CE cream had less vaginal dryness, burning, itching or pain.
“Estrogens play an important role in maintaining the anatomic integrity of the vaginal
wall,” write Bachmann and co-authors. “Visual
signs of vaginal atrophy … can be detected in
most women within 12 to 24 months of discon-
www.aasect.org | November 2010 Vol. 44, No. 11
Andrew Goldstein
tinuing estrogen therapy.”
The good news is the effect this can have on
women’s sexual selves. Bachmann and coauthors point to the strong correlation between
female sexual problems and vulvovaginal atrophy. “Given the strong correlation seen between
the two conditions, it is reasonable to assume
that treatments targeted at improving the symptoms of one condition may also resolve or ameliorate those of the other.”
Educating health care providers on vaginal pain
Finding a health care professional with an
expertise in female sexual medicine can be difficult. Kellogg-Spadt estimates there are fewer
than 100 OB/GYNs, sexologists, physical therapists and dermatologists nationwide who specialize in female sexual medicine.
That means there are tens of thousands of
health care providers who aren’t especially open
to discussing the details of a patient’s sexual life.
“Women may be reluctant to bring up the
topic of sexual health if they don’t think their
health care provider will be responsive,” said
Susan Wysocki, president of the National
Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s
Health, in an article in Women’s Health Update.
“It’s important for the health care provider to
open the discussion; otherwise the patient doesn’t know it’s OK to talk about it.”
But having a dialogue about sexuality — even
with one’s OB/GYN — isn’t easy. And it’s rarely
a lack of willingness on the part of the patient
that’s to blame.
“A lot of physicians don’t feel comfortable
talking about sex,” Goldstein says. “Even gynecologists don’t get much sex education.”
During his 20,000 hour OB/GYN residency,
Goldstein says he received just 45 minutes of sexuality education. He graduated from the
University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1994.
“It’s getting a little bit better,” Goldstein says
of sexuality education in medical schools, “but
not much.”
Goldstein and others point to the work of
The International Society for the Study of
Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH), an organization dedicated to expanding knowledge about
women’s sexual health, as a sign of hope.
(Goldstein is the group’s president-elect.)
Founded in 2001 as the Female Sexual
Function Forum, ISSWSH offers continuing medical education courses to about 300 physicians
annually. That’s important, Goldstein says,
because vaginal pain is sometimes difficult to
diagnose.
“Unlike most things that cause pain, sexual
pain may not be visible,” he says. “It may not
look red or sore.”
Goldstein is also attempting to expand knowledge on the subject through the publication of
Female Sexual Pain Disorders: Evaluation and
Management, a book he edited with Caroline
Pukall, PhD, and Irwin Goldstein, MD. (KelloggSpadt contributed a chapter to the book.)
“A lot of physicians
don’t feel
comfortable talking
about sex. Even
gynecologists don’t
get much sex
education.”
— Andrew Goldstein
Societal attitudes on female sexuality
One reason physicians and other health
providers may not be open to discussing vaginal
pain is society’s general lack of comfort with
female sexuality, especially among older women.
November 2010 Vol. 44, No. 11 | www.aasect.org
continued on page 6
Contemporary Sexuality 5
“There’s a double
standard when it
comes to society’s
comfort level with
female sexual health
and enjoyment.”
— Rachel Braun
Scherl
Vaginal Pain
News of Members
continued from page 5
continued from page 2
While television commercials for erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra and Cialis are commonplace (especially during sporting events), the
manufacturer of Zestra, a cream of botanical oils
that “heightens feelings of desire and arousal”
has been nearly shut out from purchasing time on
most TV networks.
Rachel Braun Scherl, president of Semprae
Laboratories, the company that makes Zestra,
told the New York Times, “The Cialises of the
world are a perfectly acceptable part of the conversation in our culture today, but when it comes
to talking about the realities of women’s lives,
like menstruation, you always have some woman
running in the field in a dress.”
Adds Braun Scherl, “In our experience, we
haven’t seen women behaving that way. There’s a
double standard when it comes to society’s comfort level with female sexual health and enjoyment.”
Of the approximately 100 TV networks
offered the ad, only two agreed to show it during
the day or evening (when most people are watching). BET restricted its airing to late nights or
early morning. Several local stations promised to
air the ad if the company removed the words
“sex” and “arousal,” which of course, is the
point of the product.
Krychman, the AASECT-certified sexuality
counselor and OB/GYN physician, agrees with
Braun Scherl’s analysis of American society’s sexual mores.
“It’s OK for a man to age and still be sexuallly active, but a woman doesn’t enjoy the same
socio-cultural belief,” he says. “Slowly, but surely, we’re breaking down the barriers, but we still
have a long way to go.”
Calif.), D. Jane Walter (San Francisco, Calif.),
Alicia Rudolph (Philadelphia, Pa.), Melanie Swain
(Ridgewood, N.J.), Kimberly Coleman (Towson,
Md.), Rachel De Leon (Ithaca, N.Y.), Reece
Malone (Winnipeg, MB, Canada), Joshua
Freeman (Fowlerville, Mich.), Emily Keller (San
Antonio, Tex.), Ashli Herman (Plano, Tex.),
Michelle Bates (Denver, Colo.), and Michelle
Camp (San Diego, Calif.).
President Bill Finger
[email protected]
President Elect Michele Sugg
[email protected]
Secretary Ricky Siegel
[email protected]
Treasurer Debra Haffner
[email protected]
Membership Steering Chair Hani Miletski
[email protected]
Outreach Steering Chair Sabitha PillaiFriedman
[email protected]
Member Spotlight
continued from page 3
She studied Tae Kwon Do Karate in New
York for 12 years and even fought in some tournaments, until she was injured. Levinson still
loves to work out, but after an injury, she had to
settle for weight lifting.
6 Contemporary Sexuality
C
an’t find what you’re looking for on
the website? Can’t get a question
answered through your section
leader or regional representative? Listserv
members don’t have the answers? Feel free
to contact a board member directly at:
Certification Steering Chair Erika Pluhar
[email protected]
— Todd Melby
— Hani Miletski
How to contact
AASECT board
members
Professional Education Steering Chair
Don Dyson
[email protected]
Public Relations, Media and Advocacy
Chair Michael McGee
[email protected]
Communications Steering Chair
Wayne Pawlowski
[email protected]
www.aasect.org | November 2010 Vol. 44, No. 11
Quick Hits: Sex in the News
Birth control methods aren’t
always taught to teens
Nearly every American teenager is learning about
sexuality in a school, community center or
church. But what are they learning?
According to a study published by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 96
percent of adolescents say they’ve taken a formal
sexuality education course. Here’s the information teenagers say they’re learning:
“…STIs don’t care
about graying hair
and a few wrinkles.
• How to Say No To Sex: 81 percent (males), 87
percent (females);
This is a concerning
• Methods of Birth Control: 62 percent (males),
70 percent (females);
situation which
unless we take
• Sexually Transmitted Infections: 92 percent
(males), 93 percent (females);
action now is only
• How to Prevent HIV/AIDS: 89 percent (males),
88 percent (females).
The report interpreted data from the 20062008 National Survey of Family Growth, which
included interviews with 2,767 teenagers, ages
15-19.
Other findings:
As many boys received information about
birth control as girls in middle school, but when
learning about birth control in high school, girls
were more likely to receive information;
About 80 percent of girls said one of their parents talked to them about birth control compared
to just 68 percent of boys.
John Santelli, a professor at the Mailman
School of Public Health at Columbia University,
says the CDC report reinforces other studies
showing a decline in comprehensive sexuality
education programs during the years 1995-2002.
Titled “Educating Teenagers About Sex in the
United States,” the study’s authors were Gladys
Martinez, Joyce Abman and Casey Copen. (CDC
National Center for Health Statistics report and
Associated Press, Sept. 16)
Ads encourage 45+
individuals to practice
safer sex
Post-divorce, middle-aged singles seem to be
engaging in sexual activity. Unfortunately, they’re
also contracting sexually transmitted infections
(STIs) at high rates.
In 2009, British men over the age of 45 contracted more cases of genital herpes than male
teens ages 16-19. In addition, about 5,000 people
going to get worse.”
— Julie Bentley
over age 45 contracted human papillomavirus
(HPV) in that same time period.
That’s prompted a U.K. nonprofit — Family
Planning Association (FPA) — to begin a public
health campaign aimed at educating this older
demographic group about the risks of STIs.
“We celebrate the positive and fulfilling sexuality of the over 50s,” says Julie Bentley, FPA
chief executive. “But we also have to get the message across that STIs don’t care about graying
hair and a few wrinkles. This is a concerning situation which unless we take action now is only
going to get worse.”
The education effort is titled “The Middleage Spread” and includes print ads of people
wearing mod, 1960s-era clothes. The headline
reads: “Remember Wearing This? Then
Remember to Wear This!” A picture of a condom
follows those words. (Daily Mail, Sept. 14)
Americans definition of
family is changing
Is your family a “family”?
The American definition of family is expanding. In 2003, 54 percent of people believed samesex couples could be classified as family. Seven
November 2010 Vol. 44, No. 11 | www.aasect.org
continued on page 8
Contemporary Sexuality 7
Quick Hits: Sex in the News
continued from page 7
“I get frequent
letters and e-mails
from people who
find the political
rhetoric of ‘family’
to be extremely
exclusive of singles.
For singles, it might
be a code for
‘You don’t count.’”
— Nicky Grist
years later, that number jumped to 68 percent.
Brian Powell, an Indiana University professor,
conducted several studies on the subject. The
research is reported in a new book titled,
“Counted Out:
Same-Sex Relations and
Americans’ Definitions of Family.”
“This indicates a more open social environment in which individuals now feel more comfortable discussing and acknowledging sexuality,” Powell says. “Ironically with all the antigay
initiatives, all of a sudden people [are] saying the
word ‘gay’ out loud. Just the discussion about it
made people more comfortable.”
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender
individuals aren’t the only ones who want to be
included as “family.”
So do singles.
“I get frequent letters and e-mails from people
who find the political rhetoric of ‘family’ to be
extremely exclusive of singles,” says Nicky Grist
of the Alternatives to Marriage Project. “For singles, it might be a code for ‘You don’t count.’”
Alternatives to Marriage Project is supporting
a bill by Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) that would
allow same-sex couples in Florida (and other
states) to legally adopt children. If enacted into
law, the measure would also apply to singles.
(New York Times and Associated Press, Sept. 15)
Study: Abortions don’t
cause depression in teens
Many people assume abortions have negative
psychological effect on women. A 2010
Nebraska law required providers to screen
women for “physical, psychological, emotional,
demographic or situational” risk factors before
performing an abortion.
Three years earlier, Anthony Kennedy, a U.S.
Supreme Court justice wrote, “While we find no
reliable data to measure the phenomenon, it
seems unexceptionable to conclude some women
come to regret their choice to abort. … Severe
depression and loss of esteem can follow.”
But does it?
Researchers recently examined data from the
National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent
Health to find out whether teenagers who had
abortions suffered depression or low self-esteem
in later years. Authors Jocelyn Warren, Marie
Harvey and Jillian Henderson looked at data
from three surveys over eight years. They discovered 289 pregnant females. Of these, 69 had an
abortion.
8 Contemporary Sexuality
The later surveys, which tracked the same
individuals, didn’t find any indication of negative
mental health consequences resulting from an
abortion.
“The young women in this study who had an
abortion were no more likely to become
depressed or have low self-esteem within the
years of the pregnancy or five years later than
were their peers whose pregnancies did not end
in abortion,” the authors wrote.
In fact, “the only predictor of depression at
Wave 2 [the survey after the reported abortion]
was prior depression,” the authors added.
The study, titled “Do Depression and Low
Self-Esteem
Follow
Abortion
Among
Adolescents? Evidence from a National Study,”
will be published in the December issue of the
Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health.
The Guttmacher Institute released a copy of the
paper last month.
The study is here: http.//bit.ly/de9vc6
HIV treatment improves in
Africa, more funds needed
Getting drugs to HIV-positive individuals in the
poorest parts of the world has long been a challenge. Although fewer than 1 in 2 people needing
HIV treatment in southern and eastern Africa are
getting it, progress is being made.
A new United Nations report shows that 41
percent of southern and eastern Africans with
HIV are receiving treatment, an increase from 32
percent one year ago.
“Countries in all parts of the world are
demonstrating that universal access is achievable,” says Hiroki Nakatani, a World Health
Organization assistant director-general for
HIV/AIDS. “But globally, it remains an unfulfilled commitment.”
Other encouraging news: 15 countries provided HIV-positive mothers with needed services
to prevent the spread of mother-to-child HIV
transmission and 14 countries provided treatment to 80 percent of HIV-positive individuals.
In addition, eight countries — including
Rwanda, Cuba and Cambodia — provided universal access to antiretroviral treatments.
Among the problems in fighting HIV are stigma, discrimination against HIV-positive individuals and a lack of funds for prevention and treatment. The report claims another $10 billion is
needed to combat AIDS worldwide.
“The donors’ pledges are woefully inadequate,” says Paul Davis of the Health Global
Access Project. (Reuters and World Health
Organization, Sept. 28)
The report is here: http://bit.ly/bXvDNM
www.aasect.org | November 2010 Vol. 44, No. 11
Educational Opportunities
Beyond The Puritanical: A Cross
Cultural Perspective for Public Sexual
Health Education
Ongoing, online course
Presenter: Mark Schoen
More info: SexSmartFilms.com at
(626) 660-5823 or
[email protected]
Website: http://bit.ly/bkpzYj
AASECT-approved for 2 CE credits
Clinical Sexology — Professional
Training Program
Now–August 20
Beverly Hills, California
Presenter: Patti Britton
Sponsor: Institute for Sexual Health
More info: (323) 791-7801, [email protected] or
http://sexualtreatmentprograms.com/cli
nical-sexology-training.php
AASECT-approved for 3.5 CE credits
per module
Affair Recovery: Erotic and Emotional
Recovery after Infidelity Using Imago
Relationship Therapy
November 2, 9, 16
Live Teleclass or listen to recordings
Presenter: Tammy Nelson
More info: (203) 438-3007 or
www.TammyNelson.org/teleclass_live/e
vents/
AASECT-approved for 3 CE credits
Teleseminar for Professionals:
The Return of Desire: Getting the Sex
You Want (Session V)
November 3, 10, 17
Live Teleclass or listen to recordings
Presenter: Gina Ogden and Tammy
Nelson
Telephone: (617) 491-0603
Website: www.ginaogden.com;
www.tammynelson.org
AASECT-approved for 5 CE credits
Sexual Science: What We Know and
How We Know it
November 3–7, Las Vegas
Sponsor: The Society for the Scientific
Study of Sexuality
More info: www.SexScience.org
AASECT-approved for 60 CE credits
Crucible Intimacy & Desire Clinical
Workshop
November 5–6, Denver
Presenter: David Schnarch and Ruth
Morehouse
More info:
[email protected]
AASECT-approved for 12 CE credits
Sexual Attitude Reassessment (SAR)
(SAR is an AASECT Requirement for
Certification)
November 30, January 13 and March 11
Location TBA
More info: Tracey Post at
(609) 933-3075
ASSECT-approved for 10 CE credits
Secure Attachment and Deep Sexual
Satisfaction a Telephone-Class (Four
Sessions)
November 8, 15, 22, 29
Live Teleclass or listen to recordings
Presenter: Sylvia Rosenfeld and
Barbara Gangi
More info: [email protected]
AASECT-approved for 4 CE credits
Two-Day Sex Therapy Training:
Integrating the Basics of Sexual Anatomy
& Physiology and Medical/Health
Factors into Your Practice
December 2–3
Charleston, South Carolina
Presenter: Joan Sughrue
More info: (770) 516-1949 or
[email protected]
AASECT-approved for 14 CE credits
The Return of Desire: Rediscovering
Your Sexual Passion
November 12, New York City
Presenter: Gina Ogden
More info: (212) 219-2527 or
[email protected]
AASECT-approved for 3 CE credits
Physical Therapy for Sexual Health —
Fostering Collaboration for Fitness,
Frolic and Fun
November 13
North Bethesda, Maryland
Presenter: Miriam Graham and
Reshma P. Rathod
Sponsor: AASECT
More info: Chris Kraft at
(410) 616-7150 or [email protected]
AASECT-approved for 3 CE credits
The Center for Family Life Education’s
Annual Sex Ed Conference
November 18–19
Somerset, New Jersey
Keynote Speakers: Paul Joannides, Bill
Taverner, Lesley Walker-Hirsch
Sponsor: The Center for Family Life
Education at Planned Parenthood of
Greater Northern New Jersey
Telephone: (973) 539-9580, ext. 120
or [email protected],
www.sexedconference.com
AASECT-approved for 12 CE credits
Sexual Attitude Reassessment (SAR)
December 4
Charleston, South Carolina
Sponsor: Joan Sughrue
Telephone: (770) 516-1949
Email: [email protected]
AASECT-approved for 10 CE credits
SAR is an AASECT Requirement for
Certification
Sexual Attitude Reassessment (SAR)
December 4–5
Beverly Hills, California
Presenter: Patti Britton
Sponsor: Institute for Sexual Health
More info: [email protected] or
www.sexualtreatmentprograms.com
AASECT-approved for 14 CE credits
Sexual Attitude Reassessment (SAR)
December 10, Palm Beach, Florida
Presenter: Susan Lee, Ricky Siegel and
Larry Siegel
Sponsor: Florida Postgraduate Sex
Therapy Training Institute
More Info: Susan Lee at (561) 833-006
or [email protected]
AASECT-approved for 10 CE credits
continued on page 10
November 2010 Vol. 44, No. 11 | www.aasect.org
Contemporary Sexuality 9
Educational Opportunities
continued from page 9
LGBTQQIPKFVBZ ETC...What the
*%*^ Does That Mean? Why Should
Clinicians Care?
December 9, Salinas, California
Presenter: Stephen Braveman and
Nickolas J. McDaniel
Sponsor: Monterey County Behavioral
Health
More info:
[email protected]
AASECT-approved for 6 CE credits
Restoring & Revitalizing Marital
Sexuality
January 14, Columbia, Maryland
January 21, Ventura/Oxnard, California
January 28, Pasadena, California
February 25, Wilmington, Delaware
April 8, South Carolina
April 15, Charlotte/Pineville, North
Carolina
April 29, Providence/Warwick, Rhode
Island
May 6, New Orleans/Kenner, Louisiana
May 13, Edison, New Jersey
Presenter: Barry W. McCarthy
More info: (715) 552-9517 or
[email protected]
AASECT-approved for 6 CE credits
Creative Retreat for ISIS Graduates
and Their Partners
January 15–22, 2011
Location: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Presenter: Gina Ogden, PhD, LMFT
Sponsor: Casa de los Artistas
Contact: Monica Levine
Telephone: (413) 625-8382
Email: [email protected]
AASECT-approved for 18 CE credits
The Practice of Sex Therapy: A One
Year Program
January 20–December 16, 2011
(once a month)
Location: Palm Beach, Florida
Presenter: Susan Lee, Richard Siegel
and Marilyn Volker
More info: (561) 833-0066 or
[email protected]
AASECT-approved for 120 CE credits
10 Contemporary Sexuality
Creative Retreat for Health
Professionals and Their Partners
January 22–29
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Presenter: Gina Ogden
More info: (413) 625-8382 or
[email protected]
AASECT-approved for 18 CE credits
The Heart & Soul of Sex:
A Clinical Model for Exploring Desire
and Intimacy
February 18–20, Big Sur, California
Presenter: Gina Ogden
Contact: Esalen Institute at
(831) 667-3005
AASECT-approved for 11 CE credits
The Return of Desire — Opening Our
Hearts, Trusting Our Bodies Enriching
Our Lives
February 20–25, Big Sur, California
Presenter: Gina Ogden, PhD
Contact: Esalen Institute at
(831) 667-3005
AASECT-approved for 26 CE credits
Couples Retreat
March 12–19, Boca de Tomatlan (near
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)
Presenter: Tammy Nelson
Contact: (203) 438-3007
[email protected] or
[email protected]
AASECT-approved for 18 CE credits
Sex Therapy Postgraduate Training
Institute of New York
April 16–December 2, 2012
New York, New York
Presenter: Susan Lee and Ricky Siegel
More info: Susan Lee at
(561) 833-0066 or
[email protected]
AASECT-approved for 120 CE credits
Expanding the Practice of Sex
Therapy: A Clinical Model for
Exploring Desire and Intimacy a
Training for Health Professionals
May 15–17, Lenox, Massachusetts
More info: Kripalu.org or
(866) 200-5203
AASECT-approved for 10 CE credits
20th World Congress for Sexual
Health
June 12–16, Glasgow, United Kingdom
More info: www.kenes.com/was
AASECT CE credits pending
To promote an
Educational
Opportunity
on these pages,
send an email to
[email protected].
SSTAR 2011 36th Annual Meeting:
Innovations and Controversies in Sex
Therapy and Research
March 31–April 3
Palm Beach, Florida
Sponsor: Society for Sex Therapy &
Research
Contact: Marion Johnson at
(202) 863-2570 or
[email protected]
AASECT-approved for 22 CE credits
Luminous Sexuality — Healing and
Celebration: A Weekend for Women
April 8–10, Ashville, North Carolina
Presenter: Gina Ogden and Chelsea
Wakefield
More info: Chelsea Wakefield at
[email protected]
AASECT-approved for 12 CE credits
www.aasect.org | November 2010 Vol. 44, No. 11
AASECT’s 43rd Annual Conference
Call for Proposals
W
e are so excited for the upcoming AASECT
conference, which is scheduled for April
27-May 1, 2011 at the San Diego Marriott
Hotel & Marina. The theme for the conference is
SexCon 2011: Dynamic. Interactive. Creative.
Borrowing from the infamous San Diego ComicCon International, we chose this theme to encourage
submissions that are cutting-edge, highly creative
and engaging. Our vision is a conference where
AASECT members gather to share and celebrate the
diversity of the work that we do as well as the diversity of our incredible membership ... where we are
able to learn the latest and recently emerging techniques and strategies for sexuality education, counseling, and therapy ... and where we embark on a
journey into the next decade with open minds and
open hearts.
With your help, SexCon 2011 will offer an
atmosphere of exploration, wonderment, inclusivity,
nurturing and joy.
Workshop proposals are now being
accepted at:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/
AASECT2011CallforProposals
The deadline for proposals is
November 30, 2010.
Presenters will be notified in
January 2011.
We are looking forward to receiving your submissions!
Warmly,
— Monica Rodriguez ([email protected])
and Christopher White ([email protected]),
Co-Chairs, SexCon 2011: Dynamic. Interactive.
Creative.
The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists
Mission Statement
Founded in 1967, the American Association of Sexuality Educators,
Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) is devoted to the promotion of sexual
health by the development and advancement of the fields of sexual therapy,
counseling, and education. The Association’s mission is to provide professional education and certification of sexuality educators, counselors, and
therapists, as well as individuals who supervise sex therapists in training.
AASECT also encourages research related to sexuality education, counseling,
and therapy, and supports the publication and dissemination of professional
materials related to these fields. To achieve its mission, AASECT offers a
broad range of professional education and training activities.
November 2010 Vol. 44, No. 11 | www.aasect.org
Contemporary Sexuality 11