The clitoris is an organ that is central to female sexual pleasure, yet very little was known about it until recently. Unlike its anatomical counterpart, the penis, which was accurately described as early as 35 BCE by Hippocrates, the clitoris was not fully anatomically described until the year 2005. This historical neglect of the clitoris has led to some major consequences for patients, health care professionals, and society as a whole.

Check out this new video from the International Society for Sexual Medicine to hear from experts in the field of sexual health about the many reasons that patients may benefit from visiting with a sexual psychologist. In this episode, Sue Goldstein (Sexuality Educator, Clinical Researcher, San Diego Sexual Medicine, USA) and Gregory Broderick (Professor of Urology at Mayo Clinic, USA) answer your question on: How should patients go about finding an expert in sexual medicine?

Orchiectomy is the medical name for a surgery to remove one or both testicles (or testes). It may be a necessary treatment for a man with testicular cancer to ensure that the cancer does not continue to grow in the testicle or spread to other parts of the body. Other reasons for an orchiectomy include acute testicular trauma, testicular atrophy, and testicular abscess. Nevertheless, a man with a single testis may wonder if it will have an effect on his sexual functioning.

Introduction

Lichen sclerosus (LS) is a skin disease that typically affects the anogenital area of the body and occurs more commonly in women. This condition causes whitish patches of skin that are more fragile than other areas of skin and can tear easily. One of the most distressing symptoms of LS is dyspareunia, or painful intercourse. Other symptoms include itching, pain, burning, and bleeding, and the anatomy of the genitals might also change over time. For example, the clitoral hood may adhere to the clitoris or the labia minora may appear to be reabsorbed by the body.

Historically, there has been a considerable lack of research on care for transgender individuals. Expanding on this data could go a long way toward addressing the health inequities that disproportionately affect this group as well as toward understanding and meeting their unique health care needs.

Mental health and sexual health are deeply intertwined. Although some sexual problems are brought on by physical issues such as an injury, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, urological conditions, neurological disorders, cancer and its treatments, or other biological factors, other sexual problems have an underlying psychological cause.

Priapism is a long-lasting, unwanted, and often painful erection. Individuals who have an erection for more than four hours should seek emergency medical care to mitigate any potential damage to the penis. Even when priapism is addressed quickly and properly, it can lead to sexual dysfunction such as erectile dysfunction (ED), Peyronie’s disease (PD), or recurrent priapism.

A penile ultrasound is an imaging test that is used to get a better understanding of the anatomy of the penis, as well as the blood supply to the penis. It can be a useful tool for health care professionals who are investigating erectile difficulties in patients because it creates images of this part of the body.

Sexual problems may be caused by physiological or relational issues. When this is the case, psychotherapy, and counseling may be needed to address these underlying issues. Check out this new video from the International Society for Sexual Medicine to hear from experts in the field of sexual health about the many reasons that patients may benefit from visiting with a sexual psychologist.

Many studies have shown there is a strong association between relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction. Couples who communicate well and maintain a close connection with one another also tend to be more satisfied with their sex life, whereas couples who experience discord in their relationship may feel less satisfied with their sex life.

This message is to inform you that currently a fake email account for the ISSM President Gerald Brock is being used, requesting to respond to ‘asking your help with some logistics matter on behalf of ISSM’.

Please note that this account is NOT an email account from the ISSM president and please do not reply or click on any links in this message. It is best to delete it directly. If you reply to the email, they will send you even more messages and try to get you convinced to transfer money. This method is called a smart form of phishing.

Phishing

Phishing is a form of online scamming using fake e-mails, websites or messages. How can you identify those fake e-mails and how can you distinguish them from real messages? Smart cybercriminals can really make you doubt. Here are a number of tips to help you assess whether or not you can trust a message.

The basic rule: Cyber criminals always try to abuse something you believe in or someone you trust. They also often try to use fear to achieve their ends. Do not get tricked!

Tips

Did you get a suspicious e-mail or phone call? Then answer these questions:

• Is it unexpected? - You received a message for no reason: you did not buy anything, have not had contact with them for a long time, etc. Investigate further.
• Is it urgent? - Stay calm: did you really get a first reminder to pay? Do you know that 'friend in need'?
• Do you know the person who sent the e-mail? - Check the e-mail address, and also check for spelling errors. However, beware: a legitimate e-mail address is no guarantee.
• Do you find the request strange? - An official body will never ask you for your password, bank details or personal details via e-mail, SMS or over the telephone.
• Where does the link you need to click on lead to? - Hover over the link with your mouse. Is the domain name, the word before “.be”, “.com”, “.eu”, “.org”, etc. and before the very first slash "/", really the organization’s name?
• Are you being personally addressed? - Be wary of messages using general and vague titles, or your e-mail address to address you.
• Does the message contain many linguistic errors? - Although seasoned cybercriminals tend to use language correctly, language errors or a foreign language can indicate a suspicious message.

If you are in doubt about emails you receive from ISSM (now or in the future) or have any questions/concerns, please always contact us through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us at: +31 75 647 63 72.

Kind regards,

ISSM Secretariat