****Notes from Centers for Decency (CfD) Karen Kristopher, headquartered in Houston, offers your community the best in Morality and Decency Conference Speakers across this Nation.  Featuring Joe S. McIlhaney, MD with the Medical Institute for Sexual Health is our pleasure.  Scheduling at (512) 328-6268 or email medinstitute@medinstitute.org.

Joe S. McIlhaney, Jr., MD -- Biography

Joe is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist who resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Marion. In 1995, he left his private practice of 28 years to devote his full-time attention to working with the Medical Institute for Sexual Health, a nonprofit medical/educational research organization he established in 1992.

During his tenure as a private practitioner, he was active on the medical staff of St. David's Community Hospital including serving as president of the medical staff and member of the hospital's Board of Trustees. As an innovator in the field of reproductive medicine, he introduced laparoscopy, gynecologic microsurgery and laser surgery to the Central Texas area. Along with three other physicians, Dr. McIlhaney was instrumental in bringing in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer to Austin.

Dr. McIlhaney is the author of six books including 1001 Health-Care Questions Women Ask.

In December 2001 Dr. McIlhaney was appointed to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, and he is currently serving as an active participant. He also serves on the Advisory Committee to the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a position to which he was appointed in April 2003.

While sex is rarely just about sex, sexual health is not only being disease free. The Medical Institute’s 2006 National Meeting, “Sexual Health Today” will address human sexuality as it relates to the whole person, including the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of healthy sexuality.

Conference Address

Joe S. McIlhaney, Jr., MD
We will focus on issues that demonstrate the current turmoil in the field of sexual health, including medical accuracy, risk behavior and emotional consequences. We will also offer updated information on the most common STDs, their treatment, prevention and prevalence. The National Meeting will provide participants with the most current scientific data and the necessary tools to teach risk avoidance and promote sexual health within their communities.

The Medical Institute for Sexual Health is an organization that has a tremendous heart for the health and well-being of all. It is committed to teaching people how to make good choices and adopt healthy behaviors that enable them to achieve their highest potential.

The Medical Institute had its humble start in 1992 when Dr. Joe McIlhaney, a leading obstetrician/gynecologist and infertility specialist, saw more and more of his patients discovering they were unable to have children because of sexually transmitted diseases they had unknowingly acquired. Almost all of these women were unaware that their infertility was the result of sexual activity in their past. And many had no symptoms. On a daily basis Dr. McIlhaney was witnessing first-hand the full effects of the sexual revolution.

After hearing countless heartbroken women asking over and over, "Why didn't anyone tell me about the risks?", Dr. McIlhaney was moved to dedicate the next chapter of his life to the prevention of these problems rather than continuing to only treat the effects. He eventually left his private practice of 28 years in order to give the birth a new and unique organization. What began as a few slide show presentations at the local high school has today evolved into an organization of tremendous influence and leading advocacy for the health of this nation’s young people.

With offices in Austin, Washington DC and El Paso, The MI has partnered with key individuals and organizations, on all sides of the issues, in order to influence leadership everywhere to call for and promote the healthiest behavior. The staff has developed working relationships with leaders at the CDC, the National Institutes of Health, the Texas Department of Health, the Maternal Child Health Bureau and the White House. Dr. McIlhaney advised President Bush while he was Governor of Texas and now serves on his Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Furthering his influence on cultural change, he also sits on the Advisory Committee to the Director of the CDC.

The work of The Medical Institute impacts countless teenagers, college students and single adults through the work of parents and other caring adults who steer them toward smart decisions and behaviors. Educators, healthcare providers, pregnancy care centers, faith-based groups and international organizations utilize our full line of educational resources and attend our national conferences and seminars. Our materials have been distributed in more than 40 countries and translated into many languages.

Science clearly shows that the behavior choices necessary for optimal health are sexual abstinence for unmarried individuals and faithfulness within marriage. We are a key player committed to the reversal of the STD and nonmarital pregnancy epidemics. By informing and encouraging the up and coming generations, it is our belief that truly healthy sexual behavior can lead to the eradication of STDs, better emotional health, and the preservation of the family as the center of our society.