Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) organized a training titled ‘Sexual Health Education for Individuals with Special Needs’ in collaboration with Turkish Municipality of Nicosia and Cyprus Psychologists Association.
The World Health Organization has defined sexual health as an integral part of overall health that begins with birth and ends with death, recommending that individuals from all segments of society receive specialized professional sexual health education tailored to their needs. In this sense, the first module of the designed training was held at the Turkish Municipality of Nicosia, Solidarity and Education Center with the participation of families with children with special needs. The training, based on a multidisciplinary approach and interinstitutional collaboration, featured speakers including Çelen Çağansoy from the Nondiscriminatory Nicosia Unit of the Turkish Municipality of Nicosia, EMU Health Sciences Faculty academic staff members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rojjin Mamuk, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nezire İnce, Dr. Çisel Demiralp Övgün, and Clinical Psychologist Eşmen Tatlıcalı from the Cyprus Psychologists Association and Clinical Psychologist Bleda Tilki. In the four-session interactive training, the importance of sexual health, the psychological and behavioral aspects of sexual health for individuals with special needs, as well as the dimensions of nutrition and physical activity, were discussed. At the end of the training, families expressed their satisfaction and their hopes for the widespread implementation of this organization across the island. The second module of the training, intended for adult individuals with special needs, is planned to be held on 25 April, 2024 in Nicosia.