Sexopathology

The course of Sexopathology was founded in 1999

Head of Course: V.A. Shahramanyan, PhD, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor

Until the second half of the 20th century, YSMU students studied sexual health within related disciplines. For the first time lectures on sexual health began to be held at YSMU in 1998 in the form of an elective subject “Sexopathology” under the guidance of MD. M.G. Hovhannisyan.

The Sexology course was founded in 1999 under the direction of Dr. med. M.G. Hovhannisyan. Ph.D. R.M. Davtyan, G.M. Galstyan, K.P. Sarafyan.

Between 2000 and 2010 the course has been headed by Professor Aram Hakobyan, MD.. During these years, a huge amount of scientific and educational-methodical work was carried out on the clinical basis of sexology. Education at the Department of Sexology of YSMU today meets international standards.

The activities are carried out in several directions – this is the pedagogical process, research and treatment and diagnostic (outpatient) work, sexological examination, as well as a comprehensive forensic psychiatric and forensic sexological examination.

The Course of Sexual Pathology provides education corresponding to international standards by combining research and therapeutic activities. Teaching faculty undergoes regular professional trainings at leading universities and sexual health clinics abroad. Scientific articles are published in local and foreign scientific journals annually. Course faculty also participates in forensic medical investigations.

2010-2018 the course was led by S.V. Hakobyan, 2018-2022 – A.D. Grigoryan. Since 2022, the course has been led by Assoc. V.A. Shahramanyan.

Previously, starting in 1999, the subject was taught as a 5-day cycle in the sixth year under the name “Sexopathology”, the program of which included “Normal sexology” and “clinical sexology” (Sexopathology). In 2017, the subject was removed from the curriculum.

Currently, the subject is called “Fundamentals of Sexology” and since 2019 it has been taught in the second year of the university program in the form of 10 elective lectures for medical, dental, military medical faculties (20 hours).

In the postgraduate program, the subject “Sexopathology” is taught for related specialties in the form of a 5-day cycle (psychiatry, neurology, dermatology, gynecology, urology, endocrinology, family medicine, forensic medicine, internal medicine, genetics).

Teaching is conducted in Armenian, Russian and English. The department is equipped with trilingual literature.

Postgraduate education – residency in the specialty “Sexopathology” lasts 2 years. The department conducts improvement cycles for sexologists and doctors of related disciplines.

• Armenian Association of Sexologists
• World Association of Sexologists (WAS)
• Russian Scientific and Medical Society “Men’s Health”
• Armenian Association of Psychiatrists
• European Society for Medical Sexology (ESSM)
• Moscow City Psychoendocrinology Center
• Center for Sexual Health of Ukraine

2 sexopathology clinics are the base of the Department of Sexopathology of YSMU. They operate in the “Heratsi” hospital complex No. 1 and the “Mikaelyan” hospital complex. Employees conduct scientific research in parallel with clinical activities, publishing them in various scientific and medical journals.

The clinics employ highly qualified specialists of international level and with a scientific degree who treat and restore the sexual health of men, women and married couples.

The following diseases are treated in our sexological clinics:

• Sexual disorders caused by psychological and physiological factors.
• Sexual disorders due to chronic inflammatory diseases.
• Erectile dysfunction.
• Ejaculation disorders (premature and delayed ejaculation).
• Male infertility.
• Sexual disorders associated with male infertility.
• Female sexual disorders caused by various factors.
• Decrease or absence of sexual desire.
• Disorder of sexual arousal.
• Pain during intercourse (genitalgia, dyspareunia).
• Sexual disharmony of a married couple.
• Sexual neuroses.

Treatment is carried out in several directions.

• Drug therapy.
• Physiotherapy (LOD-therapy, shock wave therapy, etc.).
• Psychotherapy (individual and marital psychotherapy, behavioral psychotherapy, rational psychotherapy, sex therapy)