 | ||
The World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) is an international umbrella organization representing sexological societies and sexologists worldwide. Founded in 1978 in Rome, Italy, the WAS main goal is to promote sexual health for all through sexological science. Since its beginning, the WAS has successfully sponsored 19 international congresses, the last one being held in Gothenburg, Sweden, from June 21 to June 25, 2009. The WAS was previously named World Association for Sexology, but changed its name in order to stress that sexology is a tool for achieving sexual health.
Contents
Member societies
Five prominent Regional Continental Federations are members of the WAS: The Asia and Oceania Federation of Sexology (AOFS), the European Federation of Sexology (EFS), the Latin American Federation of Sexology and Sexual Education (FLASSES), the North American Federation of Sexuality Organizations (NAFSO), and the African Federation for Sexual Health and Rights (AFSHR).
WAS members also include more than 100 national and international sexological organizations, institutes and foundations. Among the sexological societies belonging to WAS, we can find: the International Academy of Sex Research, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS), the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health, South Asia Institute for Human Sexuality (SAIHS), the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, & Therapists (AASECT) and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).
About
WAS is governed by an Executive Committee, Officers and an Advisory Committee
Executive Committee
Associate Secretaries
Presidents of the Regional Federations
WAS Advisory Committee = Executive Committee members and:
Ex-Officio Members
Past Presidents of WAS:
Committee Chairs:
World Sexual Health Day
On 2010, the WAS instituted September 4 as the World Sexual Health Day in an effort to increase social awareness about the role that sexuality plays in human health, and to promote the fact that sexual health is only attainable through sexual rights.
The theme of the 2010 World Sexual Health Day was "Let's talk about it... an intergenerational discussion", thus, activities around the world had the objective of creating dialogue between youth and adults about sexual health.
More than 25 countries joined the celebration, among them: Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Japan, Italy, Spain, Austria, etc.
The Second World Sexual Health Day took place on September 4, 2011, with the theme "Youth's sexual health: Shared rights and responsibilities" in order to celebrate the beginning of the WAS Youth Initiative and the ending of the International Year of Youth.
And the Third one took place on September 4 (also throughout the month of September) with the theme of " Celebrating diversity". More than 40 countries participated. Their reports are available through WSHD-Global page 2012 on Face Book http://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Sexual-Health-Day-The-Global-Page/117746971636978
More information about the World Sexual Health Day (WSHD) are available on http://www.worldsexology.org/news/world-sexual-health-day/
Join WAS
The World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) has two categories of membership, Organisational and Individual. Both categories enjoy all the privileges of membership with the exception that Individual Members do not have the right to vote. You Can read more here.
I. Societies, Institutes and Other Organisations
A society or institute whose main interest is in the area of sexology may apply for admission as a member of the World Association for Sexual Health. The application to become a member may be submitted through this page. The application should include the completed form and have attached the following material.
A copy of the governing body's approved resolution to apply to WAS for admission. A complete list of the names and addresses of the members Payment of the fees as indicated below
II. Individual Members
A person who works or has an interest in an area sexology may apply for admission as an Individual Member of WAS.
III. All applications should be accompanied by two letters of recommendation, issued by individuals or organizations recognized by the World Association for Sexology.
IV. Payment should be made according to the table below. It is preferred that dues are paid through the PayPal system on this site. If this is not possible, please forward a cheque in American dollars to the Secretary General/Treasurer at the address that appears below. Cheques should be made payable to the World Association for Sexual Health. We regret that we cannot accept foreign currency or personal cheques.
Declaration of Sexual Rights
The Declaration of Sexual Rights was first proclaimed on the 13th World Congress of Sexology in Valencia 1997 and revised at the 14th World Congress of Sexology in Hong Kong 1999. The current version is from 2014.
This Declaration gave an influence on The Yogyakarta Principles, especially on the idea of each person's integrity, right to issues of sexuality, including the whole spectrum of Sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Work with the Pan American Health Organization
The Pan American Health Organization (an office of the World Health Organization) convened a Regional Consultation on sexual health in collaboration with WAS in Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala in May 2000. The consultation resulted in a document entitled: Promotion for Sexual Health. Recommendations for Action, in which a conceptual framework for the promotion of sexual health is developed.
Youth Initiative
Recently, the WAS established its Youth Initiative, in an effort to contribute to youth's sexual health and sexual rights through a fuller participation of Youth in WAS governance, policies and activities. The WAS Youth Initiative was proposed and developed by a 22-year-old Mexican sexual health advocate and sexologist, Antón Castellanos Usigli, mentored by Esther Corona, WAS Executive Coordinator, making it an International Youth Initiative conceived by a young mind.
The WAS Youth Initiative Committee, Co-Chaired by Antón Castellanos Usigli and Esther Corona, and composed by 10 members belonging to Venezuela, Lebanon, Cuba, Chile, Sweden, Italy, Kenya, Australia and India is the organ within WAS that develops the Initiative. The Second World Sexual Health Day, which took place on September 4, 2011, celebrated young people's sexual health and rights because of the WAS Youth Initiative and the International Year of Youth.
The official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health
The official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health is the "International Journal of Sexual Health", is a peer-reviewed academic journal that covers research on sexual health as a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being.