Association of Reproductive Health Professionals: Reproductive Health 2006

The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) is a multispecialty and multidisciplinary organization whose members are involved in a wide spectrum of reproductive health activities. Members of ARHP are recognized as local, regional, national and international leaders in the clinical, education and research aspects of reproductive health, as well as advocacy. The annual meeting of ARHP, Reproductive Health 2006, this year allows members to gain valuable insight into recent advances in reproductive health while networking with their colleagues. This interaction is enhanced by the concomitant meetings of the National Medical Committee of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Society for Family Planning during the ARHP Annual Meeting.

The preconference symposia are always a popular part of the meeting and this year was no exception. Among the five scheduled symposia, Emily Godfrey (University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA) and Michelle Forcier (Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, IL, USA) provided an in-depth overview of manual vacuum aspiration for the treatment of early pregnancy loss; Heidi Bauer (State of California Department of Health Services, CA, USA) and Sarah Guerry (Los Angeles Department of Health, CA, USA) presented a timely update on the screening, diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted disease in women; and David Grimes (Family Health International, NC, USA) and Kenneth Schulz (Family Health International, NC, USA) presented a powerful and well received overview of research methodology and epidemiological interpretation.

Other symposia presented throughout the week included an overview of the care and management of the sexual assault victim by Ashlesha Patel (John H Stroger Jr Hospital, IL, USA); an update on microbicides by Kurt Barnhart (University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, PA, USA) and Christine Mauck (CONRAD, CA, USA); a review of sex and sexuality by Lee P Shulman (Northwestern University, IL, USA); and a detailed presentation concerning the new human papillomavirus vaccination by Cosette Wheeler (University of New Mexico School of Medicine, NM, USA). The Michael Burnhill Memorial Lecture was given by Byllye Avery (The Avery Institute for Social Change, NJ, USA), who presented information on cultural diversity and healthcare, while Leon Speroff (Oregon Health Sciences University, OR, USA) presented the Guttmacher Lecture, covering postmenopausal care and the role of hormone therapy.

In addition to the comprehensive and well presented symposia, the 2006 meeting was characterized by a record number of submitted abstracts. A total of 15 abstracts were chosen by the Society for Family Planning and ARHP for oral presentations and a further 18 were chosen for poster presentations. The abstracts can be found on the AHRP website and encompass the best of clinical and basic science research in reproductive health [1].

Reproductive Health 2006 also witnessed a record number of attendees at this years’ meeting. With continuing progress in developing surgical and medical therapies available for an increasing number of male- and female-specific conditions, as well as a challenging and ever-changing social and political milieu in which reproductive health is practiced in the USA and around the world, Reproductive Health 2006 represents a truly unique and highly valued meeting in which clinicians, researchers and educators can come together to improve their own practice and provide invaluable information for peers, colleagues and students. Reproductive Health 2007 will be held from September 26–29, 2007 in Minneapolis, MN, USA. Further information about the 2006 and 2007 meetings and ARHP in general can be found on the ARHP website [1].