Starting out as the Female Sexual Function Forum in 2000, the name was changed in 2001 to the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. Its inaugural meeting was held in Boston in 2000 under the leadership of its first President, Sandra Leiblum, PhD. Today her legacy is still honored by each President who gives the Sandra Leiblum Presidential Address at the opening of each Annual Scientific Meeting.

1. Collaboration
2. Community
3. Empowerment
4. Excellence
5. Integrity

6. Passion

A Thriving Sexuality for Every Body

To Lead, Innovate and Promote our Interdisciplinary Field by Bridging Science, Patient Care and Community

1. Expand Education: Key objectives include developing international/regional educational programs, providing training on systems of oppression, diversifying faculty, and collaborating on pre-medical education.

2. Improve Communication & Global Visibility: Goals include developing strategic communication plans, enhancing international outreach, optimizing social media strategies, and improving public relations and media outreach.

3. Enhance Collaborations & Partnerships: An expansion of ISSWSH’s international presence, aiming to develop year-round educational collaborations, centralize collaboration management, and develop member-specific collaborative opportunities.

4. Strengthen the Quality and Broaden the Scope of Science: This includes enhancing the scientific rigor in ISSWSH programs, expanding research opportunities, offering research training, promoting external funding opportunities, and increasing visibility and impact of ISSWSH journals.

5. Foster Community & Engagement: A focus on enhancing member visibility, fostering content creation through collaboration, and promoting non-medical engagement and networking.

6. Promote Advocacy & Outreach: Strategies include providing resources for local advocacy, implementing public outreach programs, developing advocacy campaigns, and establishing systematic approaches for advocacy topic selection.

7. Counteract Systems of Oppression: A strong commitment to combating systemic oppression by developing anti-oppression initiatives, enhancing advocacy, empowering members, and promoting diverse leadership.

ISSWSH is committed to leading our field in research, education, and advocacy, providing a multifaceted approach that decreases the gap between science, patient care, and the communities we serve.

Our goals are ambitious yet achievable with the passion and dedication that characterize our ISSWSH community. We will pursue our goals with the same drive that has always pushed us to be different, to ask questions, to search for (new) solutions, and to advocate for achieving sexual health for everyone.

We call upon our entire community to engage with (y)our goals actively. Your expertise, your voices, and your commitment are the backbone of our strategy and fuel us with energy to drive us forward. We will seek continuous feedback, encourage open dialogue, and expect robust participation as we implement our strategies, as our success lies in our joint efforts and the shared belief in our mission.

Together, we will address the complexities of sexual health, push the boundaries of knowledge, and make a true and lasting impact on the lives of those we serve. We invite you to join us on our transformative journey as we move towards a future where sexual health is recognized as a fundamental right without any barriers for the entire humanity.

Sue Goldstein
Past President, ISSWSH