ISPOG supports the field of obstetrics and gynaecology with science, clinical knowledge and experience, to improve the assistance of women in their needs for general and reproductive health.
In concrete words, ISPOG's main purpose is to join together groups and individuals in an international organisation in order to attain the following objectives:
To promote the study of psychobiological and psychosocial, ethical and cross-cultural problems in the fields of obstetrics and gynaecology, women's health and reproductive health.
To promote education and training.
To encourage the creation of national societies.
To promote and facilitate the distribution of new information via ISPOG International Congresses and the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology.
ISPOG has worked as an organisation since 1974, when it was established. Some of its founding fathers already met in 1962 in Paris, discussing the needs of combining the disciplines like psychology, sociology, anthropology and ethics, with the obstetrical and gynaecological discipline. In accordance to the wishes of the founding fathers in the 1970s, the field of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology has developed in many ways.
Today, ISPOG's main purposes are still relevant, like 40 years ago. Central for ISPOG is exchange of knowledge and experience, and stimulating co-operation in the field of clinicians and scientists from all over the world.
Modern development in medicine, such as minimal invasive operation techniques, female genital cosmetic surgery, prenatal diagnosis and prenatal therapy, increasing rate of elective caesarean section, genetic counselling for hereditary cancer and opportunities in contraception, challenges workers in the field. Also, nowadays, internet gives women access to endless information that the patient, often unselected, brings with her to her caregiver. Nowadays, doctors want to collaborate with autonomous and empowered patients. However, this calls for new attitudes in caregivers and adapted working styles. Current patient care cannot be met only by one discipline anymore, but requires multidisciplinary collaboration in order to cover all the necessary knowledge and skills that current patient care requires.
Compared to certain countries, where women's rights are a matter of fact, there are many other countries where these rights are not respected, consequently reflected in poor women's health care. In such situations education is pivotal. ISPOG, where it regards obstetrics and gynaecology, is able to help improve the education of gynaecologists and midwives.
Another important ISPOG task is to perform research that offers new knowledge about enhancement of treatments and satisfying the needs of our patients. ISPOG stimulates such research by supporting the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology and by organising conferences and the three-yearly international ISPOG congress. It is our conviction that modern obstetrics and gynaecology is only up to date if results from research in psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology are implemented in clinical practice.
Frequently, people in economically wealthy countries seem to believe that core knowledge only depends on and only can be put forward by huge financial resources. This is only partly true. In many less priviliged countries, a richness of warmth and wisdom exists in the relationships between caregivers and patients, as well as clinical skills. Colleagues in rich countries may envy those aspects.
In many parts of the world a huge knowledge and experience is present, built on a century long history. Where possible such information should be brought together and discussed, in order to enrich those who are unfamiliar with this. ISPOG congresses offer possibilities for scientists and practitioners from all over the world to get together and exchange experiences and knowledge. Currently, we are working on the development of the ISPOG website, in order to use it as an easy reachable platform for distribution and exchange of this knowledge. By using the website and other ‘new media’ like Facebook, Skype and other tools on the Internet, this may help to create a ‘global village’ for workers who are active in the field of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology, and knowledge can be shared much more easily than before.
According to ISPOG Statutes (Article 5, Section 2) ‘Members shall be eligible without relation to sex, race, language, religion, politics, or country of origin’, and therefore colleagues from all over the world are welcome. We hope that you will join us.