World+Association+for+Sexual+Health


 * ﻿Zeke Rowan ** **World Association for Sexual Health **

The World Association for Sexual Health is an international organization that represents sexogical societies and sexologists all over the world (Medical News Today, 2007). The World Association for Sexual Health uses the help from many international organizations, groups and individual members to make advances and address issues relating to sexual health.

**Word Association for Sexual Health History ** The World Association for Sexual Health (WAS—formerly the World Association for Sexology) was founded in 1978 by a multidisciplinary, worldwide group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with the aim of promoting sexual health and sexual rights throughout the world (WAS, 2009). Since then, the World Association for Sexual Health has accomplished its aims through the advancement and exchange of scientifically-based multidisciplinary sexuality research, sexuality education, health promotion, and behavioral and clinical sexology. More recently, the World Association for Sexual Health constituency has become involved in advocating for changes in public policy to recognize sexual health and rights as key ingredients in overall health and social justice. Financial support from individuals, foundations, corporations, and governments has sustained this work in projects around the world (WAS, 2009).

** World Association for Sexual Health Mission Statement ** The World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) promotes sexual health throughout the lifespan and through the world by developing, promoting and supporting sexology and sexual rights for all. WAS accomplishes this by advocacy actions, networking, facilitating the exchange of information, ideas and experiences and advancing scientifically based sexuality research, sexuality education and clinical sexology, with a trans-disciplinary approach (WAS, 2009).

** Biennial World Association for Sexual Health Congress ** The Biennial World Association for Sexual Health Congress brings together clinicians, researchers, educators, activists and policy makers that specialize in many of the fields related to sexual health (Kenes International, 2011). At the Congress experts discuss and share knowledge on issues like behavioral, clinical, psychological, social and cultural aspects of sexual health. At the Congress the World Association for Sexual Health Award for Excellence and Innovation in Sexuality Education is given out to those who were nominated for the award by fellow colleges and the Congress found deserving. The award is given out every two years by WAS and the World Congress in recognition of the contribution that sexuality educators make to the overall field of Sexology (International Community of Women, 2006). The World Association for Sexual Health will be hosting its 20th biennial congress on June 12-16 in Glasgow, Scotland in the United Kingdom (Kenes International, 2011).

** Declaration of Sexual Rights ** The Declaration of Sexual Rights are the sexual freedoms and rights that all humans are entitled to. This document was written during the 1997 World Association for Sexual Health Congress in Valencia, Spain and was adopted by the World Association for Sexual Health at the 1999 Congress in Hong Kong (Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology, 2003).  **World Association for Sexual Health Millennium Declaration ** The World Association for Sexual Health believes that promotion of sexual health is a key component to attaining wellness and achieving sustainable development (WAS, 2009). The World Association for Sexual Health Millennium Declaration is the rights and issues in sexual health that need to be addressed to achieve the well-being and standards implemented by the Millennium Development Goals. Included in the World Association for Sexual Health Millennium Declaration are the Declaration of Sexual Rights, advances toward gender equality, condemning sexual violence, providing universal sexual education, ensuring the availability of sexual health programs and several other topics that will help better the sexual health of people all over the world (WAS, 2009).
 * 1) The right to sexual freedom. Sexual freedom encompasses the possibility for individuals to express their full sexual potential. However, this excludes all forms of sexual coercion, exploitation and abuse at any time and situations in life.
 * 2) The right to sexual autonomy, sexual integrity, and safety of the sexual body. This right involves the ability to make autonomous decisions about one's sexual life within a context of one's own personal and social ethics. It also encompasses control and enjoyment of our own bodies free from torture, mutilation and violence of any sort.
 * 3) The right to sexual privacy. This involves the right for individual decisions and behaviors about intimacy as long as they do not intrude on the sexual rights of others.
 * 4) The right to sexual equity. This refers to freedom from all forms of discrimination regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, race, social class, religion, or physical and emotional disability.
 * 5) The right to sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure, including autoeroticism, is a source of physical, psychological, intellectual and spiritual well being.
 * 6) The right to emotional sexual expression. Sexual expression is more than erotic pleasure or sexual acts. Individuals have a right to express their sexuality through communication, touch, emotional expression and love.
 * 7) The right to sexually associate freely. This means the possibility to marry or not, to divorce, and to establish other types of responsible sexual associations.
 * 8) The right to make free and responsible reproductive choices. This encompasses the right to decide whether or not to have children, the number and spacing of children, and the right to full access to the means of fertility regulation.
 * 9) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in;">The right to sexual information based upon scientific inquiry. This right implies that sexual information should be generated through the process of unencumbered and yet scientifically ethical inquiry, and disseminated in appropriate ways at all societal levels.
 * 10) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in;">The right to comprehensive sexuality education. This is a lifelong process from birth throughout the life cycle and should involve all social institutions.
 * 11) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in;">The right to sexual health care. Sexual health care should be available for prevention and treatment of all sexual concerns, problems and disorders.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">World Sexual Health Day ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">World Sexual Health day was instituted by the World Association for Sexual Health and was first celebrated on September 4th, 2010. The idea behind the day is an international celebration of sexual health and sexual rights that all humans should be entitled to. World Sexual Health Day is a day that encourages the discussion and progress of sexual health and sexual health issues world-wide (IIAP, 2010).

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">References //

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">//Eli coleman was honored by the world association for sexual health//. (2007, April 29). Medical News Today, Retrieved fromhttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/68893.php//

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">World Association for Sexual Health. (2009-2010) <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[]

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Kenes International. (2011) //20th World Congress for Sexual Health. //<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[] //

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">International Community of Women. (2006, October 20). //World Association for Sexual Health WAS) Award for Excellence and Innovation in Sexuality Education. //[|//http://www.icw.org/node/230//]//

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology. (2003). //WAS Declaration of Sexual Rights. //<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">[] // //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Coates, R. (2010, July 2). //World sexual health day//. Retrieved from http://www.patientsorganizations.org/showarticle.pl?id=1159