Infusing Sexual Literacy with Social Work and Allied Health Fields

Australians need service providers specifically social workers and allied health providers who are sexually literate, capable of providing holistic, medically accurate, shame-free, comprehensive sexuality health care. The School of Social Sciences and Psychology and Sexualities and Genders Research (SaGR) of Western Sydney University are pleased to host international visiting scholars from the Center for Human Sexuality Studies, Widener University, USA. Our morning, framed by the World Health Organization’s definition of human sexuality, sets the stage on how human sexuality goes beyond an intercourse centric view and includes sexual justice within social work. The Circles of Sexuality, will present a generalist and holistic model of human sexuality and how it can be employed in social work and allied health practice as a useful tool to conceptualize client sexuality. A Sexological Worldview and Sexual Loss will facilitate service providers helping clients reclaim a “good enough” sex life. WSU’s Corrine Sullivan will wrap up the morning with, Sexy and Fierce: Indigenous sexuality through the looking glass. The afternoon session will convene a Sexuality Research Masterclass panel drawing on insights from their own research in order to help High Degree Research (HDR) students, allied researchers, and faculty to: Expand their understanding of sexuality research Contextualize sex research in a historical and contemporary framework Illuminate challenges with being a sexuality researcher and strategies to manage them Enhance general research to be more inclusive of gender and sexual diverse minorities Highlight methodological considerations Introduce ethical practice and specific issues in working with Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC).