Dear Colleagues,
Our work and lives have radically altered in the year 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has rocked the practice of medicine and led to cancellation of scientific meetings around the globe. While our ability to meet in person has been compromised, our commitment to our patients and to supporting one another in the practice of sexual medicine is as strong as ever. If therefore gives us great pleasure to invite you to the 21st Annual (and first ever Virtual) Fall Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America. The SMSNA remains the pre-eminent North American organization dedicated to promotion of holistic sexual wellness…a global pandemic cannot change that!
We will miss the opportunity to congregate with old friends and colleagues and to meet new ones. However, the virtual format offers the opportunity for a broadened attendee base, in terms of both geography and discipline. We believe the sense of community we have come to expect at our Fall Scientific meeting will remain self-evident in cyber-space.
We have crafted an intensive, diverse program featuring a diverse faculty of experts from numerous disciplines.
Our meeting will start with evening abstract sessions on Monday November 9. Tune in Monday through Thursday to hear about the latest developments and ideas in sexual medicine practice.
The basic science session this year will be focused on the interplay between Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and sexual dysfunction. Does proximity alone explain why these issues are so often comorbid? Or are there physiological mechanisms at play? Join us to find out!
We will continue to devote a large block of time to issues in penile surgery; aside from technical aspects we will explore the interpersonal dynamics between partners considering penile surgery for Erectile Dysfunction or Peyronie’s Disease and the medicolegal risks that may go along with these procedures.
Our mental health symposium this year will be focused on holistic assessment of couples. All of us in sexual medicine have much to learn from one another other and this session will help us in that endeavor. In addition to the mental health symposium, we will feature a number of sessions discussing the aspects (ethnodemographic and sexual) that distinguish us from one another. The year 2020 has made it clear that we have much to learn about the people with whom we share this world and for whom we provide care; join us to learn more and enhance your ability to understand our diverse patient populations.
COVID-19 and its influence on the practice of sexual medicine must of necessity be a highlighted topic this year. A series of special sessions on the impact of COVID-19 on sexual wellness will surely be a highlight of the program this year.
We look forward to seeing you online!
Alan W. Shindel, MD and Faysal Yafi, MD, FRCSC
SMSNA Meeting Committee Chair and Co-Chair
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to invite you to our 21st Annual Fall Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA). As you may know, the SMSNA Board of Directors voted to hold this year’s meeting as an entirely virtual event. Although this was not an easy decision, the challenges of protecting the health and safety of you and your loved ones, as well as travel restrictions by many parent institutions, made it clear that this was the right path. Established in 1994, our objective has been to promote, encourage, and support the highest standards of practice, research, education, and ethics in the study of sexual function and dysfunction. Our fall meeting has become increasingly recognized as the premier gathering of sexual medicine experts and health care providers in North America focused on the advancement of scientific knowledge in all aspects of sexual health. The dedicated forum for the presentation of new ideas and various talks by expert lecturers presenting the latest cutting-edge developments in the field have historically attracted attendees from the United States and across the globe as far away as Latin America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. Our “gathering” this year will of course not be in person. However, using a state-of-the-art technology virtual platform and relying on your continued support and academic contributions, we are confident that we may have a broader reach this year and many who may not have been able to travel to our in-person meeting may now be able to attend.
Our Meeting Committee Chair and Co-Chairperson, Drs. Alan Shindel, and Faysal Yafi, have worked diligently with the members of the Meeting Committee to assemble an outstanding program of master lectures, panels, point–counterpoint debates, and poster sessions providing a wealth of information on diverse topics, encompassing exciting and timely advances in sexual health. The program will be of interest to specialists in all disciplines of sexual medicine whether you are a physician, an allied health/non-physician practitioner, mental health provider, scientific researcher, or other health professional. The program will include two hour evening sessions during the week on peer-reviewed abstracts and will be followed with the plenary programming Friday through Sunday. More details about the program are included in the Chair and Co-Chair’s welcome letter.
In addition to the overview of the scientific programs on urological-sexual health advances, the welcome letter from the president typically includes information about our social event and keynote speakers. As an SMSNA member or past attendee, you know that we spare no effort to keep your time away from the scientific sessions as fun and engaging as possible. Although this year’s “social” and non-scientific events will be held remotely, I can assure you that you will be pleased with the world-class speakers and entertainment. We are currently working with The SMSNA Foundation to organize the details of our main social event with Al Di Meola, described as “…a bona fide guitar hero and perennial poll-winner, recognized internationally over the past four decades as virtuoso of the highest order.” He is a prolific composer and prodigious six-string talent with over 20 albums as a leader while collaborating on a dozen or so others with jazz and fusion music giants such as Chick Corea, Paco de Lucia, and many others.
The success of our meeting would not have been possible without the significant time commitment and efforts of our management company, Status Plus, whose dedicated team has contributed endless hours to oversee every detail and make this event a recurring success. We are proud to continue our efforts in promoting a rich tradition of inclusiveness, scholarship, and camaraderie that is well displayed with every year’s scientific meetings. I welcome you to share your knowledge, contribute to our joint mission, and advance the field of sexual medicine. With your help and participation, we will achieve new heights in clinical excellence and service to our patients. I look forward to personally welcoming you at our virtual meeting.
Hossein Sadeghi-Nejad, MD, FACS
President 2018-2020
