Last modified: Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Sexual health leaders to discuss Indiana's needs
EDITORS: Reporters are welcome to cover the summit, held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 22, in the Conference Center on the mezzanine level of the Indiana Memorial Union, 900 E. Seventh St., on the Bloomington campus. For more information, visit https://www.sexualhealth.indiana.edu/summit.html or contact CSHP@indiana.edu.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 17, 2007
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University is considered a scholarly mecca of sexual health research, yet statewide measures of citizens' sexual health, such as rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy, are poor. A sexual health summit at IU Bloomington next week might be the spark necessary to bridge this disconnect.
"While IU is known around the globe for its research and partnerships in the area of sexual health, this summit will focus on how we can connect better with organizations in our own backyard;" said Michael Reece, director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion in the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation at IU Bloomington. "To ensure that sexual health research, practice, and policy are better integrated requires that leaders with different perspectives and experiences come together to think about how we can be better partners with one another."
The Indiana Sexual Health Summit 2007, held on Monday (Oct. 22) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Indiana Memorial Union, marks an unprecedented gathering of sexual health leaders from across the state, including IU researchers, local and state health department staff, community-based and philanthropic organizations and leaders of various faith communities.
The goal of the summit is to encourage these various interests to share their perspectives, debate their concerns and develop strategies and ideas for how the groups can work together in a more participatory way to effectively address the state's sexual health needs.
"Its easy for people to list the sexual health problems that face society, but it requires unique and innovative approaches to resolve them," Reece said.
During the morning portion of the summit, the audience will hear briefly from representatives of the Kinsey Institute, Marion County Health Department, Lilly Endowment Inc, The Indiana AIDS Fund, IU School of Medicine, Planned Parenthood of Indiana, Christian Community Inc. and HPER. These representatives will be able to question and debate each other for roughly 30 minutes before the audience of health professionals joins the discussion.
In the afternoon, small groups will discuss and establish priorities and strategies for meeting the state's sexual health needs.
For more information, including how to register, visit https://www.sexualhealth.indiana.edu/summit.html. The summit, held in the Conference Center on the mezzanine level of the IMU, is the Center for Sexual Health Promotion's inaugural event (see: https://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/6436.html). Summit co-sponsors are Planned Parenthood of Indiana, the Indiana AIDS Fund and the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction.
For more information, contact the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at CSHP@indiana.edu.
