UW News

June 23, 1999

UW Medical Center hosts free public forum on sex and aging

A free public forum on “Sex and Aging: The New Facts of Life” will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 27, at the Edmond Meany Hotel, 4507 Brooklyn in Seattle’s University District.

Sponsored by University of Washington Medical Center, the forum will cover “Sexual Dysfunction in Men” and “Sexual Dysfunction in Women.”

“People should not assume that loss of sexual functioning is an inevitable part of growing older,” said Dr. Richard Berger, UW professor of urology and director of UW Medical Center’s Reproductive and Sexual Medicine Clinic. “In many cases, sexual function can be restored. But first, people must be willing to discuss this important subject with their physicians.”

The agenda includes:
? 6:30 p.m., welcome and refreshments
? 6:35 p.m., “Sexual Dysfunction in Men” with Dr. Berger
? 7:15 p.m., break
? 7:30 p.m., “Sexual Dysfunction in Women” with Dr. Laura Hart, urologist with UW Medical Center’s Urology Clinic
? 8:15 p.m., question and answer session

Topics to be discussed include:
? Improving communications between patients and medical providers about sexual functioning
? Increasing recognition and awareness of possible sexual dysfunction in men and women
? Underlying medical conditions associated with sexual dysfunction, such as hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, prostate cancer and neurologic disorders
? Possible impacts of some medications on sexual function
? Lifestyle changes, such as reducing stress or quitting smoking, that can reduce the possibility of sexual dysfunction
? Current and investigational medical treatments for sexual dysfunction
? Clinical studies being conducted at UW Medical Center

For more information on the forum, call the medical center’s Urology Clinic at (206) 598-4294. For driving and parking directions, call the hotel at (206) 634-2000.