Advancing Professional Education in Clinical Sexology: An Introduction to the Special Issue on Professional Education...

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Sexual Health presents results from a survey on professional education in clinical sexology conducted by the WAS Committee for Professional Education in Clinical Sexology (WAS PES). WAS PES was first established in 2018 as a sub-committee of the Education committee, and in 2022 became a separate, ad hoc committee for professional education in clinical sexology. The committee includes members from all six of the regional federations of WAS. The committee chose to focus on clinical education and training, because this sub-field of sexology was identified as having the greatest gap between professional recommendations and training realities. The results of this survey confirm this view of professional education in clinical sexology. The survey demonstrated that there is much activity in this field, especially in Europe, North America, and South America. There are also strong programs in Australia, while programs are lacking in other parts of Asia/Oceania, the Eastern Mediterranean countries, and in both North and Sub-Saharan Africa. In this special issue, separate articles present the global results of the survey, and the results from each of the six WAS federations: Asia-Oceania Federation for Sexology (AOFS), Eastern Mediterranian Federation for Sexual Health (EMFeSH), European Federation of Sexology (EFS), Latin American Federation of Sexology and Sex Education Societies (FLASSES), North American Federation of Sexuality Organizations (NAFSO), and Sexual Health Africa (SHA). In addition to reporting on the results of the WAS PES survey, the authors of each regional report engaged in an epistemological study of the field of clinical sexology in their region. As a result, these authors highlight strengths and areas for improvement in their regions, noting the lack of governmental acknowledgement of sexology as particularly challenging. Still, a primary takeaway identified across regions is the positive and important role of clinical sexological training in enhancing WAS's mission to advance sexual health and well-being for everyone.