ASHA Recognizes September as World Sexual Health Month

Sept. 4, 2012 - PRLog -- Research Triangle Park, NC-- In a shifting landscape where the very way we look at human sexuality is changing, the American Social Health Association (ASHA) joins organizations around the globe to recognize September as World Sexual Health Month 2012.

Experts in fields spanning clinical medicine, education, and psychology believe the traditional view of sexual health as a “disease prevention model” is much too narrow. ASHA president Lynn Barclay says “We’ve long thought of ‘sexual health’ as something we only deal with in a clinic during an exam. That element is important, but now we need to move beyond and acknowledge that being sexually healthy also involves things such as having quality relationships; recognizing the importance of pleasure; and respecting sexual diversity.”

Noting that a multi-disciplinary panel of experts advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published a definition that encourages we approach sexual health in a “positive, cohesive, and life-affirming” way, Barclay adds “Our sexual health isn’t about simply being ‘well’ or ‘sick.’ A sexually healthy person might or might not have HIV, for example. He or she may be gay or straight, in a relationship or content to fly solo. Our sexual health is a continuum that evolves throughout our lifetimes, just as everything else about us does.”

Deborah Arrindell, ASHA’s vice-president for health policy, points out that that sexual health is an integral part of our overall health: “Sexual health affects the quality of our lives in so many ways, impacting our minds and spirits as much as our bodies.”  She says the social aspects of sexual health are important, too, because “You also can’t separate the individual from society.  Whether we’re talking about access to healthcare or providing sound, science-based sexual education in schools, our policies and practices must reflect that in the end, we’re all in this together.”

During September ASHA will offer expanded sexual health resources that include:
•   Fact sheets
•   Quizzes
•   Blogs
•   Commentary from former U.S. Surgeon General M. Joycelyn Elders, MD
•   “Ask the Experts” questions and answers

Visit http://www.ASHAstd.org for more.