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News Release

June 12, 2007

Sex Conference to Explore Human Rights and Sexual Health

The 29th Annual Guelph Sexuality Conference, Canada’s largest and longest-running sexual health forum, runs June 19 and 20 at the University of Guelph.

The event will bring together more than 400 educators, nurses, physicians, therapists, social workers, clergy, students and other health professionals from across North America.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Human Rights and Sexual Health: Implications for Education and Service.”

“Canada has been amazing in making wonderful advances in human rights, but we can’t be complacent,” said Richard Barham, chair of the conference planning committee and a retired professor in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition. “We have laws in place to protect minority groups, and people are obligated to know how to be respectful and meet the needs of these people whether it’s in the workplace, an educational institution or anywhere.”

Other topics on the agenda include queer family planning, sexual health support for people with intellectual disabilities and issues surrounding transgender.

The conference, which is taking place in the Thornbrough Building and the University Centre, is open only to registrants and the media. Media passes may be arranged in advance, and a media registration table will be set up during the event on the ground floor of the Thornbrough Building.

Prior to the two-day conference, a one-week intensive sex therapy training course for sex therapists runs June 11 to 15. There will also be pre-conference workshops on June 18 covering sexual education for young people and updates on sexually transmitted infections.

Program Highlights

Tuesday, June 19

Opening session 8:45 to 10:30 a.m.
-Sexual Rights in a Multicultural Society: How Do We Measure Up?

Morning concurrent sessions 10:30 a.m. to noon
-The Negotiation of Sexual Consent in Adolescence and Young Adulthood
-Changes in Me: A Resource for Educators on Puberty and Adolescent Development

Afternoon concurrent sessions 1:15 to 3:15 p.m.
-Counselling the Asymptomatic STI Patient
-Resources and Policy Briefs For and About Sex Work
-Look in the Phonebook Under “A”: Women’s Experience in Attempting to Access Abortion Services in Canadian Hospitals
-Women’s Reproductive and Sexual Rights: A Global and Local Perspective – A Research Forum
-Beyond Homophobia: Educating Our Educators
-Queer Family Planning: Preconception and Prenatal Issues and Insights
-A Youth Charter of Sexual and Reproductive Rights
-Breaking Down the Barriers: The Challenges of Facilitating Sexual Health Support for Persons with Disability

Closing session 3:15 to 4:30 p.m.
-The Legal Regulation of Sexuality

Wednesday, June 20

Panel session 8:45 to 10:30 a.m.
-Trans Issues Through a Human Rights Lens

Morning concurrent sessions 10:30 to noon
-Family Transformations: Helping Parents to Help their Trans Children
-Restorative Justice and Sexual Trauma – The Use of Dialogue in Healing Paths
-Help! My Client is Polyamorous
-Doubly Disenfranchised: Supporting Persons with Developmental Disabilities to Grieve from a Social/Sexual Perspective
-How to be a Sex-Positive, Abstinence-Plus, Pro-Diversity Sex Educator
-Innovative Sex-Ed on Campus

Afternoon concurrent sessions
-Transfathers 2B: Developing a Healthy Advocacy Course for Trans Men Considering Parenting
-Sexual Violence and Its’ Effect on Relationships for Young Women
-Sex, Drugs and Cyberspace: MSM and HIV Prevention
-Community Perspectives on HIV: Experience from Kenya
-Sex Esteem: Developing Sexuality Confidence in Adults with Developmental Disability
-Snapshot of Sexual Health in Canada

Closing session 3:05 p.m.
-Global Change and Intimate Relations in the 21st Century: Framing Sexual Rights and Sexual Health

For more information