By-laws of the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM)

Article I - Name

The name of the organization/corporation is the INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR SEXUAL MEDICINE, hereafter referred to as ISSM.

Article II - Duration

The period of duration of the corporation is perpetual.

Article III - Purposes and Objectives

The purposes and objectives of the ISSM are the following:

1. To establish a scientific Society to benefit the public by encouraging the highest standards of practice, education and research in the field of human sexuality
2. To develop and assist in developing scientific methods for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of conditions affecting human sexual function
3. To promote the publication and encourage contributions to the medical and scientific literature in the field of sexual function.

Article IV - Not for Profit

The Society shall be run on a not profit basis and all income will be spent furthering the aims of the Society. No part of any income shall ever inure to the benefit of any private member or individual.

Article V - Membership

Membership is open to all professionals working in the field of sexual function / dysfunction or related areas and who have appropriate qualifications in their discipline. Members shall be divided in the following categories:

1. Active
2. Honorary
3. Affiliate
4. Senior

Section 1. Active Members

Active membership is restricted to health care professionals or basic researchers who can fulfill the following:

1. Appropriate qualifications in their discipline
2. An endorsement of his/her ethical, moral and professional standards by two (2) Active or Senior Members
3. Completion of an application form which must be sent to the Secretary who shall secure that all information is in order
4. Active Members must be endorsed by the Executive Committee
5. They shall be elected if they receive a simple majority of valid votes cast by the Members present at the Biennial Business Meeting

Section 2. Honorary Members

Honorary Members may be conferred upon individuals who:

1. Have achieved prominence in the field
2. Have given outstanding service to the ISSM
3. Outstanding Active Members of the Society who no longer practice their profession. They shall retain their previous rights in the Society
4. Honorary members shall be exempted from payment of all dues and assessments
5. With the exception of Active Members achieving Honorary status, Honorary Members cannot hold office or vote.

Section 3. Affiliate Members

Affiliate membership is primarily for health professionals still in training, non-health professionals or scientists who do not qualify for other categories of Membership. They shall be nominated by two (2) Active or Senior Members who shall furnish the Secretary with all pertinent information by completing the application form.

1. Affiliate Members must be endorsed by the Executive Committee
2. They shall be elected if they receive a simple majority of valid votes cast by the Members present at the Biennial Business Meeting
3. They shall pay the dues levied upon this category of membership
4. They shall not be eligible for office nor shall have right to vote.

Section 4. Senior Members

Senior membership is for those active members who have been Active members of the Society for > 20 years or have reached retirement age (>65 years) or have retired from clinical practice but wish to maintain membership in the Society.

1. Active members wishing to become Senior members shall apply in writing to the Secretary
2. Senior members shall be exempt of all dues and assessments.
3. Senior Members shall be eligible for office and shall have the right to vote.

Article VI - Officers Board of Management and Executive Committee

Section 1.

The day-to-day management of the Society shall be vested in Board of Management composed of the elected officers of the Society: President, Secretary, and Treasurer, President-elect and Past-President.

Section 2. Officers of the ISSM

The Executive Committee shall be constituted by the officers of the ISSM  as follows: the President, the President Elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the past President, five (5) Executive Committee members nominated by one each from the affiliated regional societies [the African Society for Sex and Impotence Research (ASSIR), the Asia-Pacific Society for Sex and Impotence Research (APSSIR), the European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM) ; The Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) and the Sociedad Latinoamericana para el Estudio de Impotencia y la Sexualidad (SLAIS)] and five (5) members elected at-large at the biennial meeting for a four (4) year term. All officers of the ISSM must be active members of the society. The chairs of the standing committees will be ex-officio members of the Executive Committee

Section 3. President

1. The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Society. He/she shall be the Chair of the Executive Committee and shall preside over all meetings of the Executive Committee and the Biennial Scientific Meeting
2. The President may call special meetings of the Executive Committee
3. The President shall appoint Active or Senior Members to the vacancies on all standing committees and the chairpersons when indicated. The appointments shall include: 1. two (2) members of the Ad Hoc/Special Committee(s), 2. two (2) members of the Scientific Committee, 3. one (1) member of the Local Arrangements Committee, 4. two (2) members of the Nominating Committee
4. He/she shall appoint Ad Hoc/Special Committee(s) authorized by the Executive Committee
5. The President receives reports of all committees and makes recommendations accordingly
6. The President is an ex-officio member of all committees
7. The President serves for a term of two (2) years and may not be re-elected
8. The term of the Presidency shall run from the end of the Biennial Meeting to the end of the next such meeting.

Section 4. President-Elect

1. The President-Elect shall be elevated to the office of President without again standing for election
2. The President-Elect is elected for a term of two (2) years and shall assume the Presidency for two (2) years after his/her election
3. He/she shall serve for the President and preside in the absence of the President
4. He/she shall be present at the Biennial Meeting occurring at the time of his/her installation and announce committee appointments of those members to serve during his/her term.

Section 5. Past President

1. The Past President shall be a member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Nominating Committee.

Section 6. The Secretary

1. The Secretary shall receive and give timely attention to correspondence and keep accurate records of the same and maintain the membership roster
2. The Secretary shall keep accurate records of all business activities including the minutes of the Executive Committee and all other committees meetings
3. The Secretary shall give notice of acceptance to new members
4. The Secretary shall give a report at the Biennial Meeting including the minutes of all Executive Committee meetings
5. The Secretary serves for a term of six (6) years and may not be re-elected
6. The Secretary is an ex-officio member of all committees. In the event of incapacity of the Secretary, the Executive Committee shall appoint an interim Secretary to fill the remaining term or until the next Biennial Meeting, whichever is the shorter period.

Section 7. The Treasurer

1. The Treasurer is the custodian of the funds of the Society. He/she shall be a member of the Executive Committee
2. The Treasurer shall keep or cause to be kept true and accurate records of all transactions of the Society
3. He/she shall keep bank accounts in the name of the Society
4. The Treasurer shall disburse moneys of the Society. Payments shall be made only by checks drawn on the accounts of the Society
5. He/she shall keep a list of all members indicating the state of their accounts with the Society
6. He/she shall send due bills. He/she shall collect all dues and assessments levied on members of the Society
7. He/she shall have the books of the Society audited by a certified public accountant and shall present the report of this audit to the Executive Committee and to the membership at the Biennial Business Meeting
8. The Treasurer shall provide accurate and complete financial information to the Chair of the Audit Committee in a timely fashion
9. He/she shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Local Arrangements Committee
10. The Treasurer�s term of office is four (4) years and can be re-elected once

Section 8. The Executive Committee

1. The Executive Committee is responsible for the administration of the Society
2. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, the President Elect, the immediate past-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and ten (10) members defined in Section 2. The chairs of standing committees of the Society shall be ex-officio members.
3. The Executive Committee shall select the time and place of each stated meeting with approval by the membership at the Biennial Business Meeting
4. The Executive Committee shall approve all applications for membership
5. The Executive Committee shall approve all changes in the bylaws before submission to the membership for final approval.
6. The Executive Committee shall receive the report of the Nominating Committee and shall approve it prior to submission at the time of voting at the Biennial Business Meeting.
7. The Executive Committee may not transact business unless three persons eligible to attend are present or available by telephone.

Article VII - Biennial Meeting

Section 1

Any member wishing to host the meeting on behalf of one of the regional affiliated Societies, at least six (6) years before the proposed meeting, must contact the President no less three (3) months before the Biennial Meeting and submit pertinent documentation indicating that there are resources sufficient to support such a meeting. Depending on the quality and number of submissions the President shall appoint a Site Committee to present a report to the Membership at the Business Meeting.

Otherwise the President or his/her delegate shall present a report on site for future meetings. Members of such committee shall made recommendations based on documentation submitted by the site. Site visits can be arranged but the trip must be borne either by the affiliate society or by the members of the Committee.

Section 2. The Biennial Meeting of the Society

The Biennial Meeting of the Society shall be held at such time and place, as the Executive Committee shall designate. Official notice of the Biennial Meeting shall be sent to each member at least ninety (90) days before the Meeting.

Section 3. Scientific Sessions

1. Scientific sessions shall be designated for the presentations fulfilling the aims of the Society
2. Other material that may be considered of interest to the Members by the Program Committee.

Section 4. Business Meeting

The Biennial Meeting shall have a Business Meeting. The order of Business shall be:

1. Approval of minutes of the previous meeting
2. Report of officers:
1. President
2. Secretary
3. Treasurer (and the Audit Committee)
4. Regional Representatives.
3. Report of Standing Committees (presented by their respective Chairs who should move their approval):
1. Local Arrangements Committee
2. Scientific Program Committee
3. By-Laws Committee
4. Research and Education Committee
5. Publications Committee
6. Development Committee
7. Special Committees
4. Election of new members
5. Old Business
6. New Business
7. Report of the Site Committee
8. Report of the Nominating Committee
9. Election of Officers
10. Adjournment.

Article VIII - Committees

Section 1.

The standing committees of this society shall be 1. Audit Committee, 2. By-laws Committee, 3. Development Committee, 4. Local Arrangements Committee, 5. Nominating Committee, 6. Publications Committee, 7. Research and Education Committee and 8. Scientific Program Committee.

Section 2

The incoming President shall appoint chairpersons for each of the ISSM standing committees.

Section 3

The membership and duties of each of the committees is as follows:

1. The Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee shall be composed of the Past President as Chairman, and five (5) members at-large elected by the membership, from slates provided by each of the regional Societies, at the Biennial Business Meeting. Members of the Nominating Committee must attend the Biennial Meeting in order for their vote to be recognized. If they cannot attend, the previous past-President(s) in succession will replace the absent member(s). The Nominating Committee shall meet to compose a slate of Active Members to present at the Business Meeting, as nominees for the following offices and representative positions:

1. One nominee for President-Elect
2. One nominee for Secretary
3. One nominee for Treasurer
4. Two members of the Audit Committee

2. Audit Committee

The Audit Committee shall oversee and monitor the participation of management and independent auditors in financial reporting, with the goal to ensure that such reporting remains disciplined and credible.
The oversight and monitoring by the Committee shall include appropriate levels of review and discussion of the audit process, financial statements, independence of the auditors, and the level of management involvement in the process. Members of the Audit Committee shall familiarize themselves with the audit process and financial reporting and shall, themselves, be independent of the individual maintaining the financial books and records of the Society and of the auditors.

1. The Audit Committee shall be elected by the membership from a slate presented by the Nominating Committee.
2. It will consist of two (2) Active Members who shall review the accounts of the Society and report to the Executive Committee and the membership at the Business Meeting. The Treasurer shall be an ex-officio member
3. This committee will ensure that no part of the earnings of the Society shall inure to the benefit of any member or officer of the society (except as reasonable compensation for expenses as directed by the Executive Committee).

3. The Scientific Program Committee

1. The Committee shall consist of the Chair and three (3) members appointed by the President and approved by the Executive Committee and one member nominated by the Local Arrangements Committee of the site where the next meeting will take place. They will serve for two (2) years.
2. The Committee shall represent the interests of the ISSIR and membership in all matters pertaining to the scientific sessions of the Society.
3. They shall "meet" (in person, electronically, and/or by mail) at the call of the chair.
4. They must ensure that the scientific quality of the meeting is maintained by consideration of the format of the meeting, the facilities and by majority approval of all the abstracts and invited speakers.
5. Titles and summaries of the papers to be considered for presentation at the scientific sessions must be filed with the Program Committee no less than ninety (90) days before the opening of the Biennial Meeting.
6. The time allocated for presentation of papers and posters, panel discussions and guest speakers shall be determined by the Program Committee.
7. The Committee must present a report, through the Chair, at the Business Meeting.

4. The Publications Committee

1. The Publications Committee shall consist of three (3) members of which one shall be the Chair. The Editor of the International Journal of Impotence Research (IJIR) shall be an ex-officio member. The Editor�s term of office shall be five (5) years
2. The Committee shall present a report of its activities at the Biennial Meeting. The report should include a financial statement.

5. The Local Arrangements Committee

1. The Publications Committee shall consist of three (3) members of which one shall be the Chair. The Editor of the Society�s Journal shall be an ex-officio member.
2. The Editor�s term of office shall be five (5) years and can be re-elected once.
3. The Committee shall present a report of its activities at the Biennial Meeting. The report should include a financial statement.

6. Local Arrangements Committee.

1. Under the direction of the President and with the cooperation of the Secretary and the Treasurer, the Committee shall make all the necessary arrangements for the Biennial Meeting.
2. The Committee shall consist of no less than five (5) Active Members; at least one of who shall reside in or near the city where the Biennial Meeting is to be held. The Chairman and other members shall be appointed by the President for a term of four (4) years. The Secretary/Treasurer shall serve as an ex-officio member.
3. The Committee shall accurately record all transactions and make a final report to the Executive Committee.
4. The Committee shall report to the Executive Committee and to the membership at the Biennial Meeting.

7. Other Committees

1. Ad hoc Committees can be created and appointed by the President for specific purposes and limited time. The President shall seek approval of the Executive Committee for creation of an Ad hoc committee.
2. Other standing committees should be created by revision of these bylaws.

Article IX - Dues and assessments

1. The fiscal year of the Society shall date from January 1 to December 31.
2. The annual dues shall be set by the Executive Committee upon recommendation by the Audit Committee with approval by the membership at the Membership Meeting at the Biennial Meeting.
3. The dues shall include a subscription to the International Journal of Impotence Research.
4. The dues are payable in advance at the close of the fiscal preceding the Biennial Meeting.
5. Active members are required to pay dues. Affiliate members shall pay assessments as requested by the Executive Committee and approved by the membership at the Biennial Meeting. Honorary Members are not required to pay dues or assessments but are required to pay a registration fee at the Biennial Meeting and are not entitled to a subscription to the IJIR Society�s Journal.
6. Any Member in arrears in his/her payment to the Society for twelve (12) months shall automatically forfeit all rights of Active Membership until the indebtedness is paid, unless otherwise ordered by the Executive Committee.

Article X - Resignations and reinstatements

1. The resignation of a Member shall be approved by the Executive Committee provided the Secretary/Treasurer attests of the resigning Member�s good standing.
2. The request for reinstatement of a Member who has resigned, been suspended or expelled must be sent to the Secretary/Treasurer at least sixty (60) days before the Biennial Meeting. The Secretary/Treasurer shall review the Member�s file which led to the action taken and obtain all available facts in the interim.
3. Reinstatement requests shall be approved or disapproved by the Executive Committee.

Article XI - Language and parliamentary orders

1. All official and scientific business of the ISSM shall be conducted in the English language.
2. Roberts Rules of Order shall be used for resolution of any questions not provided for in these bylaws.

Article XII - Manners of discipline

1. Manners of discipline regarding individual Members of the Society shall be referred to an Ad hoc Judicial Committee appointed by the President, which will report his findings to the Executive Committee for action.
2. The Executive Committee has the power to remove an active member and terminate Membership for cause. A record of these deliberations will be kept. The concerned Member may appear before the Executive Committee to reply to any deliberation at that time.
3. A disciplined Member may appeal the decision of the Executive Council to the membership at the Business Meeting at the Biennial Member. Two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the present active membership is required to sustain the Executive Committee decision. If the 2/3 majority is not observed, the decision by the Executive Committee shall be considered null and void.

Article XIII � Mail Voting

To enhance and facilitate the activities of the Society, voting by mail (regular or electronic) will be organized at the discretion of the Executive Board of Management.

Article XIV - Amendments

1. These bylaws may be amended by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Active Members present and voting at the Business Meeting of the Biennial Meeting.
2. Any proposed amendment of these bylaws must be made available to the membership at the first day of the Biennial Meeting.
3. The bylaws may be suspended by a two-third (2/3) vote of the members that are present at a stated meeting for a specific purpose.
4. These By-laws shall be published in their entirety in the Program of the Biennial Meeting.

Updated on 04/13/2005