Midwifery and Sexuality

lt;p> Sam Geuens became a clinical sexologist by chance. He started his University career studying Moral Sciences with a particular interest in semantics - the way people use words and play with their meaning. He quickly realised that particularly sexuality and intimacy are wrought with semantic pitfalls and miscommunication. So, after finishing his ethics degree, he studied clinical sexology, added psychotherapy and started working with people and couples experiencing various relation and sexual difficulties. He practiced both in the Netherlands and in the UK (Wales) before finding his way to Flemish institutionalised healthcare.

Ever since he has been practicing medical sexology within hospital settings.Still many hospitals did and do not yet have departments geared to treating sexual difficulties, so he winded up founding outpatient sexology clinics at the hospitals in Herentals, Hasselt and Heusden-Zolder, where he is still counselling patients/couples with various sexual problems today.

Working in this intersection of gynaecology, urology, psychiatry and endocrinology has convinced him that the healthcare systems has a long way to go if we really want to take people's sexual health and wellbeing seriously. Wanting to contribute to such a brighter sexual health future, he is active as a board member for both the Flemish Society for Sexology and the European Federation for Sexology, helping to get sexology and sexual health the attention it deserves in Flanders and the rest of Europe.

Almost ten years ago, he came to midwifery in a rather suiting way. Standing in the hallway of his hometown's maternity ward, having just become a father for the second time, he got a phone call from the University's head of Midwifery telling him that he got a job lecturing their midwifery bachelor students.

Since then, his primary focus has been training aspiring midwives at the PXL University College in Hasselt-Belgium, teaching them on psychology and mental health related to reproduction & early childhood development, sexual health & wellbeing, communication & counselling skills and deontology & clinical ethics. Aspiring midwives are always a thrilling and engaging bunch of students, eager to learn and develop themselves.

He hopes this new textbook on Sexuality & Midwifery can help his colleagues to integrate sexuality into their midwifery programs, help practicing midwives to take up the sexual wellbeing of their clients and educate his fellow sexologists on all thing regarding sexuality and childwish, pregnancy and young parenthood.

A. Polona Mivsek decided to become a midwife when she was 5 years old, when her brother was born and she had the privilege of meeting her mother's birthing assistant. It was exactly the year when midwifery education was abolished in Slovenia. So, without the opportunity to fulfil her dreams, she went to gymnasium. In the last year, when she was deciding on my professional future, midwifery education was revived and University of Ljubljana was accepting first generation of midwifery students. She would say she was called to become a midwife.

In 2000 she graduated as first bachelor of midwifery in Slovenia, got a job in the delivery room of a maternity hospital in Ljubljana, but my curiosity was not yet satisfied. Therefore she decided to apply for a MSc in midwifery. And since this was not possible in Slovenia, I headed to Scotland, where she met her mentor, an aspiring midwifery researcher who became her role model. She opened the door into science for her and literally changed her life.

A few years later, she began to teach at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences in the Department of Midwifery. The following ten years were a hectic time - she

Preface.- Introduction to the Book and Module 1.- Sexuality redefined.- Relevant sexual anatomy, physiology and endocrinology.- How sex works.- The health benefits of sexuality.- Introduction to Module 2: 'Nature taking its course'.-   Sexual aspects of getting pregnant (conception and preconception).- Sexual aspects of pregnancy.- Sexual aspects of labour and delivery.- Sexual aspects of post partum and the first year of young parenthood.- Sexual aspects of breast and lactation.- Sexual aspects of the female pelvic floor.- Introduction to Module 3.- Sexual aspects of fertility disturbances.-  Sexual aspects of  high-risk and complicated pregnancy.- Sexual aspects of labour / delivery induced trauma.- Sexual aspects of problems postpartum & in the first year of young parenthood.- Sexual aspects of problematic lactation.- Sexual aspects of pelvic floor disturbances.- Sexual aspects of  mental health disturbances in pregnancy & postpartum.- Sexual aspects ofphysical health disturbances in pregnancy & postpartum.- Introduction to Module 4.- Sexual aspects of contraception.- Sex aspects of pregnancy & pp in non-mainstream orientation.- Male experience(s).- Relevant (sexual) aspects of cultural differences.-  Sexual effects of trauma experience on pregnancy and labour.- Relevant aspects of female genital mutilation. Introduction to Module 5.- Talking sexuality.- Teaching and learning; skills.- Various sexual consequences of interventions in midwifery practice.- How sexual problems are managed (by other professionals).- Midwifery of the future; a widening field of competences.