Membership Committee

Committee members have quarterly online meetings and are expected to actively develop and execute member recruitment and retention strategies and to provide advice regarding membership-related processes.

For the term 2025-2026 the work of the committee will focus on:

• Introduction and development of new member categories

•         Better segmentation of the member and non members audiences, and more targeted messaging

Higher workloads are expected during the annual membership renewal period, which runs from October through to February.

In addition, committee members may be asked to contribute to a bi-annual report (mid-term and end of the year), prepared by the committee chair for review by the President and ISSM Board.

Expected time commitment per month: 3 hours

I am a consultant in sexual medicine and a certified psychosexologist.

I graduated as a Medical Doctor from the Saint Joseph medical Faculty (2004). I then obtained my degree in clinical sexology from René Descartes University, Paris V, Faculty of Medicine (2007). I am also a Fellow of the European Committee of Sexual Medicine (2014) and a EFS & ESSM Certified Psycho-Sexologist (2016).

Along with my private medical practice in sexology in Beirut at La Clinique du Levant and at AUBMC, I teach Clinical Sexology at several Lebanese universities (Saint Joseph medical Faculty in Beirut and the Lebanese American University). Member of the MESSM (Middle East Society of Sexual Medicine: http://www.messm.org/site/), I was its Secretary general (2019-2023), treasurer (2017- 2019) and the chairman of its Public Awareness Committee (2011-2017).

Member at large of the ISSM (International Society for Sexual Medicine), I am also a board member of the Société Francophone de Médecine Sexuelle (SFMS). I was the social media coeditor of the Journal of Sexual Medicine. I was the chair of the ISSM Communication Committee (2018-2022) and the social media editor of the MESSM and its public website (2011-2018).

With great enthusiasm, I present my candidacy for Secretary General of the ISSM. My journey with ISSM, including roles as Member-at-Large and Co-Chair of the Communication Committee, has been transformative and inspiring. Additionally, my roles with the Middle East Society for Sexual Medicine (MESSM) as Treasurer, Secretary General, and Ordinary Director have enriched my understanding of the organizational, financial, and strategic aspects of managing a scientific society. I aim to broaden our membership base to include a diverse range of professionals within sexual medicine, enriching our organization with varied perspectives. Increasing our network of affiliated societies will foster global knowledge exchange and benefit our members and the communities they serve. I believe in the power of sexual medicine to transform lives and am committed to advancing this field globally. As Secretary General, I pledge to lead with integrity, innovation, and inclusiveness, elevating ISSM to new heights of success and influence. I humbly seek your support, confident that together, we can achieve remarkable milestones for ISSM.

Dr. Georgios Pagkalos, MD, FECSM, IDFAPA is a Consultant in Psychiatry and Sexual Medicine at the 424 General Military Training Hospital in Greece and works as a Psychiatrist and Sexologist in Private Practice. He completed his medical training, psychiatry residency and honorary psychosexuality clinical fellowship at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He is a Fellow of the European Committee of Sexual Medicine, after having successfully passed the examination of the UEMS Multidisciplinary Joint Committee of Sexual Medicine (MJCSM). He serves as the Vice Chair of the ISSM Membership Committee. Previously he served as the Vice Chair of the ISSM Communication Committee and as a Member of the ISSM Consultation and Guidelines Committee. He is elected Chair of the Military Psychiatry Section of the World Psychiatric Association, Executive Committee Member of the Hellenic-American Psychiatric Association and Special Secretary of the Hellenic Association of Professional Psychiatrists. As a member of the WHO’s Global Clinical Practice Network, he was involved in the implementation of global field studies for the ICD-11 Diagnostic Guidelines for Mental and Behavioral Disorders. He has been appointed as a Standard of Care Revision Committee Member at the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). He is a WPATH Global Education Institute Faculty Development, Certification and Mentorship Committee Member. He is a teaching faculty member in Master’s Degree Program on Psychosexuality Therapy at the ICPS College of Humanistic Sciences, a visiting faculty member in Master’s Degree Program on Strategies of Developmental and Adolescent Health at the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens. He was elected an International Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of Psychiatry and the public good. He is a Delegate at the UEMS Section of Psychiatry and a Member of the Standing Committee on Training of the Section. He is a Member of the UEMS MJCSM and appointed a MJCSM Exam Committee Member.

Manuel Belmonte was born and raised in the city of Irapuato, Mexico. His training as an Urologist was completed at the "Universidad de Guadalajara", and later he did a fellowship in Male Sexual Medicine and Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgery at McGill University.
Currently he works privately, focusing mainly on BPH, urethral strictures and male sexual dysfunction.

MCh Urology, IDIRHEM Consultant Urologist and Consultant in Sexual Medicine, TSS Shripad Hegde Institute of Medical Sciences and PG Hospital, Sirsi, India

Qualifications: MBChB from Kampala International University, M. Med (Obstetrics and Gynecology) from Makerere University, Diploma in Cosmetic gynecology from India.

Dr. Anne Gladys is a clinician and an advocate for women. Particularly dedicated to improving women's health and empowerment to live fulfilling lives with confidence and social productivity.

Special interest in urogynaecology, sexual medicine, reproductive health and cosmetic gynecology.

Dr. Bruno Machado is an Associate Professor of Urology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Originally from Brazil, he completed his medical education and surgical training in general surgery and urology in Rio de Janeiro before pursuing a fellowship in robotic surgery in France. Dr. Machado currently serves as the Director of Research in the UAMS Urology Department. His areas of expertise include robotic reconstructive surgery, urinary incontinence, and Peyronie’s disease. With over 15 years of experience training residents in Brazil and the United States, he is dedicated to advancing the field through innovation and continuous learning to improve patient care.

Dr Ramlachan is the past president and present treasurer of the African Society for Sexual Medicine (ASSM) and serves on the financial committee for the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM). His interests lie in research , sexual medicine and trial work which involves sexual function, erectile dysfunction, diabetes, diabetic nephropathy , cardiovascular disease and hypertension.

Most recent publications :

Management of Psychosocial and Sexual Complaints Among Cancer Patients in the African Context in the Journal of Sexual Medicine (2022)

Enhancing sexual health in primary care: Guidance for practitioners in the SAFPJ (2024)

Community activities :

Past president of the Jytoti Jivanam Movement of South Africa.

MBChB University of Natal (1985)

Master’s degree in health science (Sexual Health) from the University of Sydney 2007

Fellow of the European Committee of Sexual Medicine Specialist (FECSM)