Conference offers cross-cultural window on sexual issues

Australian health care professionals will be offered a unique look at sexual health issues next month, when a reproductive health conference attracts attendees from around the world.

“Reproductive Health – Taking Care of Tomorrow’s World” will offer a “window on the world” in relation to critical areas of sexual and reproductive health. The conference has attracted speakers from Ghana, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Southeast Asia, India and Papua New Guinea.

The conference will provide local health professionals with an excellent opportunity to learn about cross- cultural issues in health service delivery, according to Professor of Tropical Health, Ian Riley of The University of Queensland’s School of Population Health.

“Australian health professionals are servicing an increasing multicultural community. This is a marvellous opportunity for them to meet people from other parts of the world who are dealing with the same issues but with quite different insights to our own, “ Professor Riley said.

The conference will focus on relationships between culture and disease and cover topics such as female genital mutilation, family life after the death of a baby, maternal mortality, the level of health of Indigenous men and sexually transmitted diseases in Third World countries.

The conference will be held at Emmanuel College, University of Queensland from Tuesday, 2 to Friday, 5 July. The event has been accredited by the RACGP for two points per hour under the Continuing Medical Education Program.

Media: for more information, please contact the Health Faculty Communications Officer Marlene McKendry (telephone 07 3346 4713, mobile 0401 996 847) or visit: http://www.sph.uq.edu.au/ACITHN/conf/