The Fellow of the European Committee Sexual Medicine (FECSM) offers certification in sexual medicine to medical doctors from several specialties.
Sexual medicine is one of the branches of medicine, which aims to improve sexual health through prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of conditions or diseases involving, according to Nature.
This branch includes sexual function and dysfunction, sexual and/or partnership experience and behavior, gender identity, orientation, and attractions, sexual attitudes, feelings, and beliefs, among others.
The history of sexual medicine dates back to ancient ages, but it actually gained momentum after the launch of the blockbuster oral erectile dysfunction drug Viagra (sildenafil) in 1998. Following the approval of Viagra, the interest in sexual medicine increased among people, scientists, medical communities, and even academics.
There are hundreds of thousands of clinicians dealing with sexual medicine, but they face several obstacles, including poor sexual medicine education in medical schools. Globally, it is not being recognized as a medical specialty.
So, to overcome this limitation, the European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM) and Multidisciplinary Joint Committee for Sexual Medicine (MJCSM) were was established under the umbrella of the Union of European Medical Specialists (UEMS).
Since 2012, the MJCSM has set biannual exams to award the qualification of FECSM to medical doctors from several specialties such as urology, psychiatry, gynecology, internal medicine, and general practice, per Nature. A committee that has highly experienced academicians working in the field of sexual medicine prepares the exams.
The MJCSM exam is the only certification for qualification in sexual medicine. So far, over 500 doctors gained the FECSM certification after fulfilling the eligibility criteria and successfully passing the exams.
The MJCSM aims “to guarantee the highest standards of care in the field of Sexual Medicine.” It also has many other important tasks, such as constantly updating it in accordance with the new findings in the field and setting criteria to become a “training centers of Sexual Medicine,” and certifying such training centers across Europe.
The committee also deals with awareness and educational issues. In 2019, the MJCSM initiated a campaign in the European Parliament to raise awareness of sexual medicine and include sexual health in undergraduate education.
The MJCSM warrants continue efforts to develop educational opportunities for medical professionals of all levels and disciplines of healthcare in the field of sexual health, according to Nature. There is also an official publication of the International Society for Sexual Medicine that publishes multidisciplinary clinical, basic, and epidemiological research on sexual function and dysfunction.
