Don't miss your chance to apply for one of fifteen travel stipends available to eligible attendees of the 20th World Meeting on Sexual Medicine! The meeting will take place September 22-25, 2016 in Beijing, China.

Stipends are available in the amount of USD 2,000 each. Recipients will also receive free registration to the meeting.

Allocation is based on need and applicants must meet specific criteria, including an abstract submission and written proof of a professional degree.

The application deadline is June 1, 2016. Please click here for details, including eligibility requirements. 

An election to fill vacant positions on the ISSM Board of Directors will be held September 23, 2016. The election will place during the ISSM business meeting, held during the World Meeting on Sexual Medicine in Beijing, China. 

The following positions are open for election in 2016:

• President-Elect,
• Secretary General and
• Two (2) Members-at-Large

Any member in good standing may seek election for any of these vacant offices by presenting a petition for nomination signed by any 20 full members of the Society.

Petitions must be received by the ISSM Secretary General by June 17, 2016.  More information, including a link to the petition form, is available here.

Intralesional injections of hyaluronic acid appear to decrease plaque size and curvature in men with Peyronie's disease, according to a pilot study. 

Thought to be a wound-healing disorder, Peyronie's disease is marked by areas of hardened scar tissue called plaques that form under the skin of the penis. These plaques cause the penis to bend. For some men, the curve makes intercourse difficult or impossible. 

Some men with Peyronie's disease are treated with medication injected directly into the plaques. But some men experience side effects from these medications, including pain, swelling, and bleeding under the skin.

Italian researchers suggested that hyaluronic acid may be an alternative. 

Sometimes used to treat osteoarthritis, hyaluronic acid has been found to reduce inflammation and lessen scar formation.

Sixty-five men between the ages of 23 and 70 participated in the study. All had Peyronie's disease. 

The men were given weekly injections of hyaluronic acid for ten weeks. Two months after treatment ended, their plaque size, degree of curvature, and sexual satisfaction were assessed and compared to baseline measures. 

Plaque size decreased for 57% of the men.  Penile curvature was reduced by an average of ten degrees and many men reported improved erections and better sexual satisfaction.

No adverse events were reported.

Still, the treatment needs more research, particularly in larger, randomized, placebo-controlled studies, the authors said.

The paper is currently in press for publication in Sexual Medicine. Learn more here.