Contraception today

Emeritus of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Tor Vergata University of Rome. Former president of the Italian Society of Perinatal Medicine, president of the Intl Perinatal Doppler Society, vice president of the Italian Society of Ultrasound in Gynecology and Obstetrics, general secretary of the Italian Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics Author of over 500 scientific works and 11 books as well as participation in chapters of other books. He directed the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the D Famiglia Tor Vergata office in Rome until November 2020 Member of the pro-life Pontifical Academy He currently holds the position of Plenipotentiary Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia

Jean Francois ARNAL, MD, PhD (Paris University), Professor of Medical Physiology (2000-present), Faculty of medicine, University of Toulouse, France, Senior member of the Institut Universitaire de France, Past-Head of a research team at INSERM Unit 1048. Jean Francois ARNAL studied medicine at the University of Toulouse and was then resident in cardiology in Paris (interne des Hopitaux de Paris). He then received his PhD on the role of nitric oxide in hypertension and heart failure in 1990-3 from the University of Paris (mentor Dr JB Michel). Jean Francois ARNAL is specialist on vascular physiology and pathology and sex hormones. His field of expertise was initially the communications in vascular pathophysiology, in particular the renin-angiotensin system (mentors JB Michel, P Corvol, J Menard, INSERM Paris), nitric oxide and endothelial NO synthase (DG Harrison, Emory University, Atlanta GA, USA). These two last decades, he focused on estrogens and estrogens receptors (ER), in collaboration with the most acknowledged specialists in this field (P. Chambon, K. Korach, J and B Katzenellengogen,…). His lab contributed to describe for the first time the respective roles of nuclear and membrane ER alpha thanks to the generation of transgenic mice targeting activating functions AF1 or AF2 and the membrane actions of ER alpha, in collaboration with the Mouse Clinic in Strasbourg. In collaboration with JM Foidart, his group also proposed that the specificity of action of estetrol, an estrogen synthetized by the fetal liver, was due to the uncoupling of the nuclear and membrane actions of ER alpha, accounting for some of its estrogenic specificities. He contributed to more than 200 original papers or review articles. He received several prices these last years. This topic and collaborative work was summarized in « Estrogen receptors and endothelium ». Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 30: 1506-1512, 2010. Arnal JF, et al. and more recently in « Membrane and Nuclear Estrogen Receptor alpha actions: From Tissue Specificity to Medical Implications » in Physiological Reviews 2017, 97 : 1045-1087.

Professor of Gynaecology University of Campinas Faculty of Medical Sciences, Campinas, Brazil

President, the Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Honorary President, the Egon, and Ann Diczfalusy Foundation. Honorary Senator, Academic Senate of the Szeged University, Hungary. Doctor Honoris causa, University of Arad (Romania). Formerly: Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Universities of Rome “la Sapienza” and of Geneva. Director, UNFPA, UNDP, WHO, World Bank Special Programme of Research in Human Reproduction. Director, the First Institute of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Dean, the First Post-graduate School in Gynaecology & Obstetrics, University “la Sapienza”. Director General, the Italian National Institute of Health. Secretary General, the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Visiting Professor, Ohio State University and Peking Union Medical College University. Guest Professor, Health Science Centre of Peking University. Honorary Fellow the American, Indian, and Royal (British) Colleges of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Past-President, International Society for the Advancement of Contraception, and Italian Society of Clinical Sexology

Professor emeritus Martin Hans Birkhaeuser Martin Birkhaeuser is Professor emeritus of the University of Berne and has been Head of the Div. of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine at the University of Berne until Dec. 31th, 2008. His actual special interests are menopause, osteoporosis and hormonal contraception. In 1987, he had received the Schering Award for his research work in the field of PCOS. He is a Treasurer of IAHR, Treasurer of ISGE and Past-President of the Swiss Societies of Menopause, of Reproductive Medicine, of Contraception and of the Swiss Association against Osteoporosis and a former Member of the Board of IMS. Martin Birkhaeuser is Honorary Founding President of EMAS, Honorary President of the Turkish Menopause Society and Honorary Member of IMS, and Honorary Member of the Menopause Societies of Switzerland, Portugal, Romania, Hungary and Chile.

Johannes Bitzer is Former Chairman and Professor em of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University Hospitals of the University of Basel. Former Head of the Division of Psychosomatic and Psychosocial Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Basel. Past president of the European Society of Contraception and Past President of the International Society of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology and member of several international executive and advisory boards in family planning, sexology and menopause. Past member of the Executive Committee of the European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Director of the knowledge-based assessment in the education committee of EBCOG. Former President of European Society of

M.R.C.P. L.R.C.S.(Lond.), F.R.C.O.G.(Lond), F.R.C.P.(Irel.); Ph.D.(U.K.) Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist; Clinical Chairman & Head of Department Resident Professor in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, UOM, Malta Ass Dean & Professor in Medical Education QMUL, London. Educated: St. Aloysius College [Malta], University of Malta, King’s College Hospital School of Medicine and Dentistry [U.K.], St. George’s Hospital School of Medicine [U.K.]. Qualifications: Member of the Royal College of Surgeons & Licencate of the Royal College of Physicians [U.K., 1979], Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists [U.K., 1986], Doctor of Philosophy [U.K., 1986], Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists [U.K., 1986], Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland [Ireland, 2002], Accreditation Certificate in Obstetrics-Gynaecology [S.A.C., Malta, 2003]. Employment: Former Consultant Obstetrician-Gynaecologist – Head of Department, Department of Health, Malta; Former director of Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine & Surgery, University of Malta; Specialist Obstetrician-Gynaecologist in Private Practice. Research Interests: Collagen disorders; menopause & climacteric; bone metabolism; Gynaecological endocrinology. Associate Dean QMUL, Medical School, and Professor Medical Education, QMUL, London

Prof. Rubina Sohail MBBS, FCPS, FRCOG Pakistan Dr Rubina Sohail is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, medical educationist, with special interest in public health. Dr Rubina is a champion of sexual & reproductive rights. Received medical training at Allama Iqbal Medical College. Lahore, Pakistan. HOD, Services Institute of Medical Sciences & Consultant Hameed Latif Hospital. Facilitator Department of medical education CPSP, for over fifteen years. Convener of the longest standing postgraduate course of Obstetrics & Gynaecology in Pakistan from 1998 - to date. Research interests include maternal neonatal health, SRHR, contraception. Introduced SRHR in the curriculum for MCPS & FCPS exams. She has a long history of working with FIGO initially as member of team of FIGO “Save the Mothers” project and “Sexual & Reproductive Rights” project, and later as member and chair of FIGO Chair FIGO committee on Women Facing Crisis: Human Rights, Refugees and Violence Against Women. She is Pioneer of KMC in Pakistan, Past President SAFOG, VP Pakistan Menopause society, Member Executive, SOGP, member Board of Directors Ipas (2019 – 2021), member Board of Directors, Population innovation fund and family planning association of Pakistan (Rahnuma) She is currently Chair, Education Committee, SAFOMS 2021 to date. Wide experience of working with development partners, and government. Organized multiple national & international conferences. Widely published, including IJOG and The Lancet. Served in various capacities on the editorial board of journals. Author of books on “Status of Sexual & Reproductive Rights in the South Asian Region & Strategies to Achieve them,” and “Skills and protocols In Obstetrics & Gynaecology” She has been Member scientific committee, FIGO Congress 2015, Track lead – Sexual & reproductive rights: FIGO 2018, and deputy chair scientific committee, FIGO congress 2023 Awarded Young Gynaecologist Award by AOFOG in 1995, FRCOG adeundem, RCOG in 2019 and Distinguished Services Award, South Asian Federation of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (SAFOG) 2023

George K. Creatsas is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Chairman of the 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Athens, Greece. He served as a Dean of the University of Athens Medical School for the years 2003-2007 and as a Vice Rector of the University of Athens Greece (2006 – 2010). Professor Creatsas has published more than 376 papers with more than 3234 citations ( h index 33) in international peer review Journals in the fields of corrective gynecologic surgery, menopause, pediatric and adolescent gynecology and family planning. He is the Editor of 15 proceedings and 5 books in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

After being graduated in pharmaceutical sciences in 2011, Prof. Jonathan Douxfils obtained his PhD in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences in 2015. In 2017 he launched QUALIblood, a Contract Research Organization (CRO) aiming to provide the industries, hospitals, and universities with central laboratory services for blood investigations. His company employs 7 people actively working on pre-clinical, phase-1, phase-2, and phase-3 clinical trials in several pharmaceutical fields. In 2018, he gained an academic position at the University of Namur in Belgium where he teaches pharmacology to student in bachelor and master's degrees. He also provides continuing education for health professionals, especially for pharmacists and clinical biologists. In 2019, he received the Eberhard F. Mammen Young Investigator Award for his research on the development of a new algorithm based on thrombin generation to assess hormone-related prothrombotic changes. In 2020, he was nominated as the "Namurois of Year", category Sciences, a price rewarding people in the Namur community for their engagement and their scientific discovery. In 2023, he was appointed Professor by the University of Namur. During the COVID pandemic, in order to counter the wave of fraudulent IVD devices that reached the market for only profit-benefit, he started several projects aiming at providing the laboratory with independent data on the performance of diagnostic assays. He started with his teams clinicals studies aiming at evaluating the serological response of COVID-19 patients and in vaccine recipients. He also started research on the risk of thrombotic events related to the cytokine storm and the thrombotic thrombocytopenia syndrome following vaccination with adenoviruses-based COVID-19 vaccines. He also determines specific cut-offs for blood biomarkers linked to COVID-19 severity using viral load as surrogate endpoint. He has multiple collaborations with academics, hospitals, universities to develop accurate and sensitive biomarkers in hemostasis, serology, oncology and more recently neurology. The research directed by Professor Douxfils played a leading role in the establishment of guidelines for the laboratory measurement of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). These recommendations have been used so far by several Expert Societies involved in the field of thrombosis and hemostasis. He also provided his expertise for the development of new medicine and has been actively involved in the di

Kristina Gemzell Danielsson is professor, and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet (KI) and senior consultant at the Karolinska University Hospital. She is head of the research group at the WHO collaborating centre for Research and Research training in Human Reproduction at KI. She is Honorary Clinical Professor at Hong Kong University, RSU, Latvia and Honorary fellow FSRH, RCOG, UK. She is a member of the International Committee for contraceptive research (ICCR), Population Council, past president of the European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health, and FIAPAC, and past member of the FIGO council. Her research is translational (experimental, clinical trials and implementation; “from bench-to bed-to the hands of women”) with a focus on reproductive medicine (endometrial function, embryo implantation, comprehensive abortion care, emergency contraception and development of new contraceptive technology and new methods for assisted reproduction) and Global Health. In 2012 she was awarded with the FIGO Award in Recognition of Women Obstetricians/Gynecologists

Endocrinologist and Obstetric & Gynecologist. Chief of the Section of Gynecological Endocrinology at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Modena, Italy. Associate Professor at the Dept of Ob/Gyn, University of Modena, Italy. Secretary of the Post Graduate School of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Modena, Italy Prof. Genazzani is author or co-author of 200 original papers on international peer reviewed journals and editor/co-editor of 14 scientific volumes, he is serving as an editorial board member of reputed international journals and reviewer of more than 15 journals. At present is member of several Scientific Societies suc as Endocrine Society, IMS, AGUI, ISGE. President of AIGE (Assoc Italiana di Ginecologia Endocrinologica), Scientific Director of AIGE School and the Editor-in-Chief of the AIGE Bollettin on-line (http://www.bollettinoginendo.it/), editor/co-editor of Europ Gynec Obstet (EGO), Gynecological and Reproductive Endocrinology & Metabolism (GREM), Endocrines. Prof. Alessandro Genazzani's research areas are: neuroendocrine/endocrine control of reproduction, hypothalamic dysfunctions, PCOS, obesity, hyperinsulinism, peri and postmenopausal disturbances.

Full Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Universities of Cagliari (1980-1982), Modena (1982-1994) and Pisa (1984-2012). In 1994, he was awarded with the Honoris Causa Laurea by the University of Wroclaw in Poland. In 2005, he was awarded with the Honoris Causa Laurea by the University “Ovidius” of Costanta in Romania. In 2007, he was awarded with the Honoris Causa Laurea by the University of Bucharest in Romania and in 2009 he was awarded with the Honoris Causa Laurea by the University of Athens in Greece. In 2011 he was entitled Professor Emeritus of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russian Federation. In October 2021 he was awarded with the Honoris Causa Laurea by the University of Poznan in Poland. President of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology (ISGE), the European Society of Gynecology (ESG) and the International Academy of Human Reproduction (IAHR). Editor in chief and founder of Gynecological Endocrinology (1986-2021) and GREM since 2021.

Anne GOMPEL, MD, PhD Professor Emeritus at Université Paris Cité of Reproductive Endocrinology and Gynecology, past-Head of the Gynecology Endocrinology at Port Royal Cochin Hospital in Paris. She belongs to the INSERM-UMR1124. She was trained in endocrinology, medical gynecology and received a MD from Paris University in 1981 and a PhD in 1987. She has National Academic responsibilities in the management of the speciality of Gynecology as past-President of the “National College of Professors of medical Gynecology”. She has developed some basic biological research on breast cells and hormones focusing on the role of Progesterone and progestins on normal and breast cancer cells and clinical practice and publications in the domain of menopause, contraception, hormones and systemic disease. She used to be or is a member of the Board of some international societies (EMAS,IMS, ESC). She has published extensively in the fields of menopause, contraception, bradykinin angioedema and breast cancer. She is on the Editorial Board of Climacteric, and reviewer of several international Journals.

Giovanni Grandi is an Assistant Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. He additionally works as a gynaecologist at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico of Modena. Professor Grandi’s research focuses on gynaecological endocrinology, hormonal contraception, the prevention of gynaecological cancers and oncogenetic counselling. From 2014 to 2016, he was elected member of the Expert Group on Sexual Medicine and Sex Education and from 2019 of the Internal Scientific Committee of The European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health; in 2016, 2017 and 2020, he was elected as best reviewer for Obstetrics and Gynecology (The Green Journal). Since 2016, he has been Editor of The European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive HealthCare and, since 2020, Associate Editor of Minerva Obstetrics and Gynecology. Since 2022, he has been the new Editor in Chief of The European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive HealthCare. He receives frequent invitations to be an ad hoc reviewer for peer-reviewed journals and has published numerous peer-reviewed papers in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Oskari Heikinheimo / Biography A professor in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Helsinki and physician in-chief at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Helsinki University Hospital. Immediate past-president of the Nordic Federation of the Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NFOG; www.nfog.org) and of the Finnish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology society (www.gynekologiyhdistys.fi) Current research activities - improvement and optimizing of abortion care, and post-abortion contraception (especially intrauterine contraception) - endometriosis and benign gynaecology - teenage pregnancy Active in several international scientific and professional organizations, and clinical guideline development groups. Has served as an editor for Human Reproduction Update, BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health and the Finnish medical journal Duodecim.

HONORARY TREASURER FIGO 2023 to 2025 SECRETARY GENERAL IAHR Immediate Past PRESIDENT FOGSI (Federation of Obst. & Gynaec Societies of India) 2022-2023 PRESIDENT of Telangana Chapter of Obgyn Societies 2022-24 PRESIDENT Hyderabad Obst. & Gynaec Society 2023-24 PROFESSOR OF OBGYN & Sr. Laparoscopic Surgeon, Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad. Initiated DHEERA 2016 - to eliminate Violence Against Women (VAW)

Full Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chief of the Research Center for Reproductìve Medicine and Gynecological Endocrinology ­Menopause Unit, IRCCS San Matteo Foundation, University of Pavia (ltaly). At present, she is permanent member of the advisory board of the lnternational Society of Gynecological Endocrinology (ISGE) and of the International Academy of Human Reproduction (IAHR) and President Elect of the lnternational Menopause Society (IMS).

He is the Director of the Palacios Clinic for women's Health, in Madrid, Spain, and is also: - Director of the Chair of Climacteric and Menopause of the HM Foundation, - Scientific Director of the Foundation of the Illustrious College of Physicians of Madrid (ICOMEM), - President of the Private Assistance Section of the Spanish Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (SEGO)

Dr Rachel Peragallo Urrutia is an obstetrician gynecologist and preventive medicine specialist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC in the USA. She completed her undergraduate work at Clark University, medical school at Harvard Medical School, and residencies at Duke University and University of North Carolina. She provides clinical care for patients who are considering contraceptive options and also provides oversight of Title X clinics across the state of North Carolina. Her research focuses on improving access to high quality preventive services including contraception and prenatal care especially among historically marginalized communities. She was the lead author on a comprehensive systematic review of the effectiveness of fertility awareness-based methods (FABM) for preventing pregnancy in 2018 and has also investigated effectiveness among postpartum populations as well as FABM recommendation practices by family planning providers in the US. She is also a certified Sensiplan instructor, a symptothermal method. Dr Urrutia frequently speaks in the US on effectiveness of FABMS and patient counseling on FABMs

Felice Petraglia, MD, is full professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Florence (Florence, Italy). He was also Professor at the University of Modena, Pisa, Udine and Siena (Italy). He is Fellow ad Eundem of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and Past President of the Society for Endometriosis and Uterine Disorders (SEUD) and of the Society for Gynecological Investigation (SGI). He was Editor-in-Chief and now is Editor Emeritus of Human Reproduction Update (HRU) and Editor of RBMO. HI:100 Citations: 47056

Dr. Georg Pfleiderer, Ordinate Professor for Systematic Theology/Ethics at the Theological Faculty, University of Basel/Switzerland (since 1999). Studies in Protestant Theology at Protestant Theological Faculties of Munich, Tuebingen, and Heidelberg (1980-1987), PhD 1991, Habilitation 1998 in Munich. Fields of Research and Publications: Cultural Ethics, fundaments of Ethics in the perspective of Protestant Theology, bio-ethics, ethics of politics and economy, history of modern Protestant Theology (Karl Barth, Ernst Troeltsch) and of sociology (Max Weber), theory of religion, secularization. Academic Functions: Theological Faculty Basel: Dean 2004-2006, 2016-2018; Karl Barth Center for Reformed Theology/University of Basel: Founding President since 2015; Federal Ethics Comittee on Non-Human Biotechnology (ECNH): member 2008-2015, president 2011-2015.

Professor of Pharmacology, Consultant Cardiologist at the St George’s University Medical School in London and Scientific Director of the Nutramed Programme at the IRCCS San Raffaele, in Rome. He currently serves as an expert in the area of Cardiovascular Medicine for the European Assessment Office of the Italian Drug Agency (AIFA), he is core member of the Cardiovascular Working Party of the European Medicines Agency. He is board member of the Heart Failure Association and Chairman of the Education committee of the HFA.

Professor Joseph G Schenker Honorary President of International Academy of Human Reproduction. Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Emeritus), Hadassah-University Hospital, Jerusalem. His research has involved experimental and clinical studies in the endocrinology of human reproduction, development of methods for contraception, and development of technologies in practice of assisted reproduction. He is interested in the ethical aspects of reproduction and gynecological and obstetric practice, and has chaired the Ethical Committee of IFFS and the FIGO Committee for the Study of Ethical Aspects on Human Reproduction

Tommaso Simoncini is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine of the University of Pisa and Head of the OB/GYN Division. Professor Simoncini has published over 300 original papers on high-impact scientific Journal. Prof. Simoncini’s publications have been cited more than 10.000 times. Prof. Simoncini is Past President of the European Menopause and Andropause Society, Executive Secretary of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology and Executive Secretary of the European Society of Gynecology. Prof. Simoncini is board member and past Executive Secretary of the International Menopause Society and a Fellow ad eundem of the International Academy of Human Reproduction. Prof. Simoncini is Associate Editor of Maturitas and of Gynecological Endocrinology and an editorial Board member of the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation

Régine Sitruk-Ware, M.D. Distinguished Scientist, Population Council - New York, USA Former Adjunct Faculty, Rockefeller University, New York Reproductive Endocrinologist, former Adjunct Professor at Rockefeller University, and Distinguished Scientist at Population Council. Named by the Time Magazine, as 1 of the 50 Most Influential People in Health Care of 2018, and received the 2022 Society of Family Planning Lifetime Achievement Award.

Obstetrician-gynecologist, perinatologist, epidemiologist, clinical densitometrist (ISCD) and Social Security specialist Latin American expert in Menopause and Climacteric, FLASCYM Latin American Master in Gynecological Endocrinology, ALEG Vice President of the National Academy of Medicine of Colombia Former President and Honorary Member of the Colombian Menopause Association Fellow American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Board Member International Academy of Human Reproduction (IAHR) Author of 10 books, 69 publications in indexed journals and 12 chapters in books by other publishers Jury and reviewer of articles in indexed journals in Spanish and English Multiple presentations at scientific events in Europe, the United States and Latin America