European Sexual Awareness Events (ESAE)
European Sexual Awareness Event 2006
An ESDA initiative with the support of ESSM
When many of us think about February that cold, short and otherwise uninteresting month, we remember St Valentine's Day and a nice warm feeling melts the winter chill. It is that time of the year when in many countries romance and passion invade TV shows, shops fill up with Valentine's cards erotic underwear and multiple gifts, poetry is to be heard on radio stations and travel agents offer exotic destinations for romantic getaways. It is a celebration of love and the couple in its universal sense. However it is also a time when people who are experiencing sexual problems in silence are vividly reminded of what they are missing. Not just because their sex lives are impaired but because often this has an adverse affect on their entire relationship with their couple and their quality of life. This is made even worse by the resulting breakdown in communication with their partner.
It is for this reason that European Sexual Dysfunction Alliance (ESDA) decided four years ago to hold an event on the 14th February in different European countries simultaneously to draw attention to the problems of sexual health, such as erectile dysfunction, lack of desire etc, that affect so many men and women. Many suffer in silence feeling guilty and isolated unable to talk to anyone. Unfortunately by doing this they deny themselves the opportunity of finding a solution. At ESDA we want to celebrate St Valentine's Day with them and remind them through different media activities that help is at hand. Confidential sexual dysfunction helplines exist throughout Europe where trained advisors can inform and support callers and start them on the path to finding a solution. There are many treatment options available and it is fundamental for people who are experiencing difficulties with their erections or other sexual problems and we encourage them to call these centres where they will be fully informed of how and where to go to get the problem solved. On a day like St Valentine's Day we mustn't forget to stress how vital it is for the couple to talk to each other, to share their joys and their problems as these can can bring them closer together if they support each other, a problem shared is a problem halved, as the saying goes. Love and sex go together for most couples and on St Valentine's Day we at ESDA want to remind all those people who are experiencing problems that they can recapture the closeness in their sexual relationships by seeking help. It is time to talk your self back to a healthy sex life...
ESAE 2006 has been coordinated by Sabine Pirnay-Kromer and Michael Berner of the German centre, ISG. We thank them for their excellent work in producing the poster for the campaign and organising the logistics to make it available to all the participating countries. Below are are just some of the activities that will take place across ESDA centres in Europe this year:
Major press conferences will be held in Turkey, Spain, Greece and Portugal. In Germany a press report entitled "on Valentine's Day let's talk about Sexual dysfunction" will be published. In Sweden the campaign poster featuring a couple and the message “Love keeps you healthy”, which has been translated into the languages of the participating countries, will appear in all major newspapers and there will be a short spot on the main radio station focusing on the telephone help-line and the co-operation with ESDA and ESSM. Also in Portugal a large truck will be placed in the heart of the three major cities, Lisbon, Coimbra and Oporto, where it will stay for two days in each city. A car from the Lisbon-Dakar rally will be placed in front of the truck and for two hours everyday a famous pilot, Paulo Marques, will be on site. Inside the truck there will be a waiting room and two other rooms: one for a check-up on the risk for cardio-vascular diseases and in the other room a sexologist will provide information, advice on sexual dysfunction. In Greece the 6th film festival on sexual health will be announced for May which will feature new and old, professional and amateur film-makers, all invited to participate in the event by creating "their story" under the general title: SEX, PROBLEMS and...CINEMA. Throughout February a TV spot specially produced for the occasion will underline the link between sexual problems and general health status and will be shown on all major TV channels in Greece to support the whole awareness raising effort. To end, the Greek centre is launching their new official website under the auspices of his Excellency the Minister of Macedonia and Thrace, just before the 14 of February. In France the launch of a TV campaign on three channels has been scheduled.
There will be media coverage of these events in all the countries participating and posters of the campaign will be distributed to hospitals, shopping centres, doctors, patient associations, media etc.
