Dear WAS Members and Friends,
Across the world, voices are rising to shape more equitable futures for Sexual Health. As we move closer to the 27th Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health, we invite you to be part of this global momentum—from joining our leadership and engaging with international days of action, to preparing for bold, justice-centered conversations in Brisbane.
Here's what's in this week's update:
✔️ Call for nominations: WAS Advisory Committee
✔️ WHO Launches New Guideline on Adolescent Pregnancy – Webinar today
✔️ Worldwide Day of Genital Autonomy – May 7
✔️ WAS 2025 Symposium Spotlight: Intersex, Sexual Health and Human Rights
| | Lead the Global Movement for Sexual Health, Rights, Justice and Pleasure | | | Stand for the WAS Advisory Committee (2025–2029)
Across the globe, Sexual Health and Rights are facing growing threats—from shrinking budgets to resistance against comprehensive sexuality education, LGBTQIA+ rights, and more. Strong, inclusive leadership is needed more than ever.
WAS invites individuals from across our Member Organizations to stand for election to the Advisory Committee (AC)—a vital global leadership body that helps shape the direction, values, and impact of our work between General Assemblies.
The new Advisory Committee will be elected and officially announced at WAS 2025 in Brisbane.
As a member of the AC, you'll:
- Help define WAS's strategic direction and global agenda
- Represent WAS in your region and networks
- Contribute to key initiatives, including programming, advocacy, and partnerships
- Champion equity, ethics, and inclusion across all areas of our work
Who can stand?
You must be endorsed by a WAS Member Organization, have demonstrated commitment to sexual health and rights, and be willing to actively participate over a 4-year term.
Election Date: 17 June 2025
Deadline to Apply: 21 May 2025
Submit your CV (with profile photo), cover letter (including your region and gender), and endorsement letter to exec@worldsexualhealth.net
Click below to read the full call and learn how you can step into a global role.
| | WHO Launches New Guideline on Adolescent Pregnancy | | | Date: Thursday, 8 May 2025
Time: 3:00 – 4:30 PM Central European Time
Register: WHO Webinar Details
Today, the World Health Organization will launch the updated version of its guideline on preventing early pregnancy and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries during a global webinar.
Originally published in 2011, the updated guideline reflects over a decade of evolving research, practice, and lived experience. Despite a decline in global adolescent birth rates—from 52 births per 1,000 girls in 2010 to 42.5 in 2021—progress remains slow and uneven. Each year, 21 million girls aged 15–19 become pregnant in low- and middle-income countries, nearly half of them unintentionally. The health, economic, and social consequences are often severe and long-lasting for both mother and child.
Speakers:
- Dr. Pascale Allotey, Director, Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, WHO
- Dr. Anshu Banerjee, Director, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO
- Dr. Nina Schwalbe, Principal, Spark Street Advisors
- Dr. Sheri Bastien, Professor, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
- Dr. Marina Plesons, Technical Officer, WHO
- Dr. V. Chandra-Mouli, formerly of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research, WHO
Moderators: Dr. V. Chandra-Mouli and Dr. Sheri Bastien
This launch offers a timely opportunity to strengthen global efforts in adolescent sexual and reproductive health. WAS encourages all members and partners to attend and share the updated guideline widely.
Reference: Beckwith S, Chandra-Mouli V, Blum RW. Trends in Adolescent Health: Successes and Challenges From 2010 to the Present. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2024 Oct;75(4S):S9–S19. https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(24)00223-4/fulltext | | Worldwide Day of Genital Autonomy: 7 May 2025 | | | | Observed each year on May 7, the Worldwide Day of Genital Autonomy (WWDOGA) is a call to protect the bodily integrity and self-determination of all children—regardless of gender, sex characteristics, culture, or background.
This global day of awareness brings attention to the persistent legal and social inequalities that influence how children's bodies are treated and protected, especially in medical and cultural contexts.
Theme for 2025: Genital Autonomy and Equality
This year's theme calls for reflection on how laws, traditions, and public health systems can uphold bodily autonomy while respecting cultural diversity and lived experience.
It highlights the importance of ensuring equal protection for all children, including those with intersex variations, and addressing medical practices that may not align with current human rights standards.
WWDOGA advocates for:
- Respect for bodily autonomy as a universal principle
- Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Inclusive and rights-based health education, policy, and care
- Greater attention to the voices of those with lived experience, including intersex people and affected communities
WAS reaffirms its commitment to children's rights to bodily autonomy and urges respectful, inclusive dialogue that considers the diversity of cultural, ethical, and medical perspectives worldwide.
| | Spotlight on Intersex Justice at WAS 2025 | | | |
Session 9A: Symposium – Intersex, Sexual Health and Human Rights
📅 Tuesday, June 17, 2025
🕓 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM
📍 Track 1
As global calls for bodily autonomy and justice grow louder, WAS 2025 will feature a powerful symposium spotlighting the lived realities of intersex people in health systems around the world.
Bringing together leading intersex scholars, activists, and public health experts, this critical session will unpack the complex intersections of intersex rights, sexual health, and medical ethics. From ongoing debates around "normalizing" surgeries to the urgent need for rights-based law reform, the symposium will offer both critical analysis and forward-looking strategies.
Session speakers include:
🔹 Mauro Cabral Grinspan: Project Coordinator, Interaction for Health and Human Rights
A longtime intersex activist, writer, and researcher, Mauro will speak on "Making Justice to Intersex De/pathologization", reflecting on the global imperative to shift away from harmful medical norms and toward human rights-based care.
🔹 Lianne Gonsalves: Scientist, Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, WHO
Lianne will present findings from a systematic review on infant "sex-normalising" surgeries, unpacking the clinical, ethical, and human rights considerations surrounding early surgical interventions.
🔹 Morgan Carpenter: Associate Professor, Sydney Health Ethics, University of Sydney & Executive Director, Intersex Human Rights Australia
A bioethicist and human rights defender, Morgan will address law reform to protect intersex people from harmful medical practices, advocating for systemic change grounded in lived experience and public health evidence.
This is a must-attend session for anyone working at the intersection of law, health, ethics, and intersex justice.
| | Thank you to our sponsors for WAS 2025 | | |
In this moment of global challenge and opportunity, your voice, vision, and values matter more than ever. Whether you're joining us in Brisbane, standing for leadership, or advocating for change in your community—thank you for moving the conversation forward.
The World Association for Sexual Health
| | | Upcoming WAS 2025 Deadlines:
Accommodation Bookings: 17 May 2025
Standard Registration: 30 May 2025 | | | Support the Mission of WAS We invite you to support the ongoing work of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS).
Your contributions help us continue our mission of promoting Sexual Health, Rights, and Justice globally. Consider becoming a supporting member or making a financial contribution today.
Donations are tax-deductible in the USA. | | | |  | |
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