Dr. Fisher to talk sex at Young Professionals summit

Christopher Fisher, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Public Health, will discuss the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases in Omaha, how sex and sexual health affects a workplace and more as a keynote speaker at Wednesday’s Greater Omaha Young Professionals Summit.

Dr. Fisher’s discussion will mark the first time a health topic will be the focus of a keynote discussion at the summit, which is attended by thousands of young professionals.

Christopher Fisher, Ph.D.

What is the main message you want attendees to take away from your discussion at the YP summit?

I hope attendees will develop a sense of purpose in helping to support the sexual health and well-being of themselves, their friends and family and their community. I hope they walk away with more questions and a desire to seek out answers to those questions.

What are the challenges that Omaha faces in being a city that allows all people to experience health and well-being through positive approaches to sexuality and sexual relationships?

Perhaps the biggest in Omaha are sexually transmitted infections. Omaha continues to have one of the highest rates of STDs in the country. Beyond STDs, creating a safe and welcoming environment for a diverse and talented workforce in the places people live, work, play and worship can go a long way in supporting the sexual health and well-being of Omaha residents.

How do sexual stereotypes and discrimination hurt communities?

There are too many to enumerate here. But for example, when a community explores providing free access to condoms, it is often met with the stereotype that easily accessed condoms will promote sexual activity, particularly among the young. This has stopped some communities from giving free access to condoms despite the fact that research shows such access does not increase the rate of people having sex. The free access to condoms does, however, decrease the rate of STDs and that saves communities substantial money and suffering.

Another example would be discrimination against sexual minorities. Recent research shows that more than one-third of Omaha’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) residents have experienced workplace discrimination because of their sexual and/or gender identity. That equates to more than 8,000 people who have experienced such discrimination in Omaha. This can lead to high levels of depression, more sick days, higher health care costs and lower productivity.