ISSWSH 2026 Recap: Testosterone, Research Funding & Women's Sexual Pleasure | Dr. Tami Rowen

Описание: Sexual medicine is underfunded, misunderstood, and often dismissed. But it's also one of the most collaborative fields in healthcare. Dr. Tami Rowen and I recap this year's ISSWSH conference and what it revealed about where the field is heading.

Dr. Tami Rowen is an associate professor of OBGYN at UCSF and the current president-elect of ISSWSH (International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health). She's been prescribing testosterone therapy for over a dozen years and has been instrumental in shaping sexual medicine education and research.

We discuss:
◼️ Why the top research at ISSWSH focused on sexual pleasure, not just prevention.
◼️ What the testosterone data actually shows vs. what social media claims.
◼️ Why treating hormone levels isn't evidence-based.
◼️ How body image and sexual function differ after mastectomy vs. lumpectomy.
◼️ Why sexual medicine has almost no federal research funding.
◼️ What technoference is and how it's affecting intimacy.

00:00 Intro
04:12 ISSWSH 2026 Conference Highlights
10:45 Award-Winning Research on Gender-Affirming Hysterectomy
15:20 Why Top Abstracts Focused on Sexual Pleasure
22:30 Research Funding Crisis in Sexual Medicine
28:15 Why Vulvodynia Has Zero Treatments
33:40 Industry Funding and Conflicts of Interest
38:25 Testosterone Therapy: The Controversy
44:50 What the Data Actually Shows vs. Social Media Claims
50:15 Why We Don't Treat Hormone Levels
55:30 Body Image After Breast Cancer Surgery
01:01:20 Lumpectomy vs. Mastectomy Outcomes
01:06:45 Lymphedema and Sexual Function
01:11:30 Technoference and Declining Sexual Activity
01:15:50 The Multidisciplinary Nature of ISSWSH

If you're a clinician interested in sexual medicine, consider attending the ISSWSH Fall Course for foundational education and the annual meeting for cutting-edge research. If you're a patient navigating any issues and not currently getting help, know that there are practitioners out there who want to help you.

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Connect with Dr. Rowen:
Website - https://www.ucsfhealth.org/providers/...
Instagram -   / drtamirowen  
Connect with Dr. Rahman:
Website - https://www.thegsmcollective.com/abou...
Instagram -   / gynogirl  
Youtube -    / @drchollkim  
Substack - https://gynogirl.substack.com/p/welco...