Centers

Established by the Department of Sociomedical Sciences in 2001, the Center for Gender, Sexuality and Health promotes research and training activities on the social and cultural dimensions of sexuality, as well as policy-relevant research on issues related to sexual health, sexual rights, and sexuality education.

The Center develops programs related to diverse cultures and communities, including ethnic and sexual minorities, both in the United States and globally. In addition to its research and training programs, the Center's work seeks to contribute to better information sharing and dissemination of research findings, and to the development of collaborative partnerships between researchers, advocates, practitioners, and policy makers working on issues related to gender, sexuality, and health.

Religious Responses to HIV and AIDS Conference

On July 12-14, 2010, with funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, the Center hosted a three-day conference on the role of religious institutions in responding to the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. Conference participants came from a variety of U.S. academic institutions, Canada, and Brazil to discuss ongoing research studies on and methodologies for studying relationships between religion and HIV/AIDS internationally.

A full report on the conference is forthcoming, as is a special supplement of Global Public Health with peer-reviewed papers emerging from the conference. Visitors can view the conference program: Religious Responses to HIV and AIDS: Understanding the Role of Religious Cultures and Institutions in Confronting the Epidemic.