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I’m going to be stepping away from this blog for a few months for a very happy reason. I’m having another baby.

I am currently setting myself a timescale of early Autumn before I consider blogging again, but I may take longer, depending on how I am managing motherhood.

Where time permits I’ll use twitter (@drpetra) to share information on forthcoming events, conferences, papers and other interesting stuff. I’ll be checking in on twitter regularly, but won’t be tweeting for the next month or so. In the meantime check out the folk on my lists who are all worth following and will keep you up to date with sex/relationships, science communication and healthcare issues.

While I’m away, here are some useful resources based on the main things folk ask me about via this website. You might find the links to sites and blogs I posted last time I went on maternity leave useful to rummage through as well.

If you’ve a personal problem
Here are some places you can get help and support on sex/relationships/reproductive health issues:

COSRT
FPA
Sexual Dysfunction Association
Brook
Scarleteen
Bish Training
Mermaids
The Site
NHS/Sex worth talking about

You can also get support from many of the people and organisations linked to in the blogroll.

If you are a journalist
I won’t be able to help with media requests until the autumn. Please email me (info@drpetra.co.uk) from October onwards and if I can help you I will. In the meantime if you are working on sex/relationships/health features or programmes you may want to contact the following organisations:

British Sociological Association
British Psychological Society
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Onscenity Network
Kinsey Institute

If you’re organising a talk or event
If you are planning something you’d like me to speak at please note I’m taking bookings for science/public communication from Summer 2012 onwards. If you have events coming up after that date please do email me. [As ever my speaker activity is based on my timetable and your event being low cost or free for audiences. I don’t charge a speaker fee but you will need to cover my travel, accommodation and reasonable expenses; and I don’t appear at events to promote pharmaceutical/commercial companies]

If you need an academic paper
Or help with your research, want me to review something, need feedback on a grant proposal, or any academic related activity please note I’m having a year’s maternity leave from University College London and will not be undertaking any academic activity in that time. If I am already in touch with you about ongoing projects I will make individual plans about appropriate contact during my leave.

While I’m away, don’t forget…
5th July 2011 – Channel 4 is hosting a meeting between programme makers, production companies and sex/education/health professionals. This follows complaints from a collective of UK practitioners concerned over the Joy of Teen Sex series (more info here). Unfortunately there are additional problems with the recent series The Sex Researchers that presented a misleading view of both sex research and sex information. Practitioners and researchers concerned about this problematic series will also be complaining to Channel 4 and those it commissions on the basis that programmes are not concerned with accuracy or ethical practice. You may also want to write to the Channel if you feel their sex broadcasting is poor.

9th July 2011 – There will be a Pro Choice Demo in London on 9 July 2011. More information here or follow on Twitter @ProChoice9July or #prochoicedemo2011. Additional information on this demo here and here plus information on reproductive rights in the UK here.

The government’s plans to tackle Sexualisation (along with other media outlets running their own campaigns). These still require follow up, interrogation and public discussion. The government will be reporting further on action taken regarding this review in the Autumn. I’ve linked to a number of forthcoming events conferences that will be tackling this issue at the end of the linked blog post. Academics and practitioners (including myself) have now formally declared how we feel this review is flawed and many of us will continue to push for better political decisions based on critical thinking about research, not ‘policy based evidence making’.

Other media outlets are planning programmes on sex/relationships in their Summer/Autumn seasons, so use this media appraisal guide to assess their quality.

Ongoing debates around sexual and reproductive health, teen parent blaming, regulation of pornography, sex work, and termination of pregnancy are all likely to be in the public domain over the coming months. They’ll need following, questioning and discussing. Where possible I’ll highlight information on these along with related conferences, campaigns or core issues on Twitter.

When I come back…
I’ll be using this blog to focus on some specific areas. Mainly sex/relationships and conception, pregnancy and parenthood. I planned to do this from the start of this year but ended up being sidelined by more interesting, challenging and topical issues. I’ll be aiming to be a lot more focused and disciplined on my return!

Looking forward to catching up with you again soon, and in the meantime enjoy the summer months. Thanks for your continued interest in and feedback on this blog, it is much appreciated.

I’ll post an update here when there is some baby news to report.

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