I asked Research Committee member Daniela Wittmann to write about her experience getting involved with the Sexual Medicine Society of North America. Making connections with other organizations (from simply checking out their websites, to attending a meeting, to joining and getting involved in leadership) can strengthen your research knowledge and perhaps even lead to exciting interdisciplinary research opportunities.
Julianne S Oktay, PhD, MSW

Full disclosure: I am the Chair of the Mental Health Committee of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) and I am looking to recruit new members. The reason I am writing to AOSW members is my firm belief that AOSW and SMSNA have much to offer to each other and membership in both can enhance our practice as oncology social workers. Ultimately, it can make us more effective with our clients.

I went to my first SMSNA scientific meeting in the fall of 2007. At that time, I was starting as a social worker in a prostate cancer survivorship program in the University of Michigan Urology Department and training to become a sex therapist. I had a lot to learn about sexuality and the biology of prostate cancer. My uro-oncology surgeon colleagues encouraged me to go. They were curious about what I’d bring back. I was very excited to learn about this society whose goal is to promote excellent clinical management of sexual dysfunction, research on sexual function and dysfunction, education on sexual wellness at the individual and community level, and advocacy to promote sexual health for all.

I found myself in a meeting dominated by male urologists. In some ways, as a female social worker, I felt like a fish out of water. On the other hand, I was totally bowled over by the content of the conference. The society featured latest research in all the areas it covers, and the plenary sessions summarized the latest research findings. Other sessions featured posters where investigators gave brief presentations. The level of scientific rigor was high. I went to the basic science as well as the clinical meetings. I learned a tremendous amount about what was being done to help men with erectile dysfunction on both the biological and clinical levels. I felt empowered and brought cutting-edge information home to my patients and surgeon colleagues. I was aware of the domination of male sexual medicine in this meeting and by the lack of psychosocial research that was presented. Even as a newbie, I found myself jumping up and offering a comment or two about the psychosocial context of the medical findings that were being reported because that perspective seemed to be missing.

Since my first meeting, the focus of SMSNA has widened. At each conference, there are more presentations on the psychosocial aspects of sexual problems, and female sexuality is taking up a larger portion of the program. Sexual problems related to cancer treatments are often covered. Two years after I joined, I submitted my first abstract and presented on a study evaluating a retreat on sexuality for couples coping with prostate cancer. I present each year now. The opportunity to “push a psychosocial agenda” to influence cancer care fuels, in part, my passion for the research because research is a language to which colleagues in other disciplines respond. My contribution is well received in SMSNA. Other psychosocial researchers are equally well received. The society is absorbing our content.

Who else attends these meetings?—attendees from nursing, other medical specialties, psychology and social work. Three years ago, SMSNA appointed a new Mental Health Committee, based on the recognition that patients do much better with a multidisciplinary approach. This year, I am chairing that committee and we are putting together a 90-minute session on biopsychosocial issues in sexual medicine and sexual health. This year, SMSNA is also sponsoring a Symposium on Sexual Health in Cancer Survivorship. The opportunity for mutual learning among disciplines is growing. The discussions that include research findings of multiple disciplines are energizing. The atmosphere is friendly and full of excitement about interdisciplinary collaborations.

As oncology social workers at AOSW meetings, we have had discussions about sexuality as it affects our clients. We know that sexuality is important to people even as they undergo challenging treatments for cancer. We also know that people with cancer who cope with sexual problems need help from multidisciplinary experts. SMSNA is actively reaching out to all of us to join, become partners and enrich it with our insights and experience. Not all of us need to contribute research. Some of us can just engage in discussions and contribute our insights.

I invite and encourage you to join SMSNA as a way of increasing our collaboration with other disciplines on behalf of our clients. Dues have been revised to accommodate differential incomes. And—great news! Membership for MSWs is now $90, a very reasonable rate. This year’s national meeting will be on November 8-11 in Miami. Click here for more information.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions. You can reach me at dwittman@med.umich.edu or 734.615.2878. Or contact SMSNA directly at 952.683.1917 or 612.808.0491, or info@smsna.org.