International Society for Sexual Medicine

What International Society for Sexual Medicine does

The International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) is a nonprofit professional medical society founded in 1978 in New York and currently headquartered in Wormerveer, Netherlands. It operates as the central international umbrella organization for sexual medicine, serving physicians, researchers, and specialists who seek professional development, publish research, and access evidence-based clinical guidelines. The society also serves the general public through consumer-facing sexual health information and a Find a Provider directory. ISSM is supported by a federation of 7 regional affiliated societies covering Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, Latin America, and North America, with its day-to-day administration handled by Status Plus as business office since 1998 on a core staff of 1-10.

ISSM's core offerings include a journal portfolio of six titles (The Journal of Sexual Medicine, Sexual Medicine Reviews, Sexual Medicine Open Access, Video Journal of Sexual Medicine, and the older International Journal of Impotence Research), the ISSM University educational platform, webinars, podcasts, video series, surgical training courses, biennial World Meetings on Sexual Medicine, evidence-based clinical guidelines, and the International Consultation on Sexual Medicine. The society has progressively expanded its media formats from print journals to multimedia and digital channels to broaden reach.

The business model is nonprofit and member-supported. Revenue is not publicly disclosed but is generated through journal publication partnerships (e.g., Blackwell/Wiley), membership dues, conference and training registrations, educational program fees, and grants such as the Zorgniotti Fund and scholarships. ISSM is governed by an elected Board of Directors and operates through member committees covering education, ethics, publications, global outreach, and other functional areas.

Name

International Society for Sexual Medicine

Legal name

International Society for Sexual Medicine

Website

https://issm.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) is a nonprofit professional medical society founded in 1978 that provides peer-reviewed journals, clinical guidelines, biennial World Meetings, and educational resources to sexual medicine professionals and patients worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Society Publications

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAGAFAB

Medical, Clinical & Biomedical Scholarly Publishing

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)

SECONDARYMPAJABAD

STM Publishing (Science, Technical & Medical)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Educational & Academic Publishing (Textbooks, Scholarly, STM)

SECONDARYHLAKAOAD

Male Reproductive & Sexual Medicine (Andrology)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Urology

Keywords

• Sexual medicine journals
• Medical professional society
• Clinical guidelines
• Continuing medical education
• Scientific meetings

Headquarters

HQ city

Wormerveer

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) is a nonprofit professional medical society that publishes peer-reviewed journals in sexual medicine, develops evidence-based clinical guidelines, and delivers continuing education and scientific meetings for physicians, researchers, and specialists in the field. It operates ISSM University as an educational platform, hosts the biennial World Meeting on Sexual Medicine, and provides public-facing resources such as the Find a Provider directory and Sexual Health Q&A articles. The society is governed by its members and coordinates with seven regional affiliated societies worldwide.

Product overview

The International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) operates as a professional medical society with a portfolio of peer-reviewed journals, educational platforms, and public health resources. Its core offerings include four sexual medicine journals (The Journal of Sexual Medicine, Sexual Medicine Open Access, Sexual Medicine Reviews, and Video Journal of Sexual Medicine), the ISSM University educational platform, webinars, podcasts (ISSM Uncovered), video content (SEXTalks), surgical training courses, a member discussion forum, clinical guidelines, and the International Consultation on Sexual Medicine. ISSM also provides public-facing resources including a Find a Provider directory and Sexual Health Q&A articles for consumer education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ISSM University: Educational platform for sexual medicine training and professional development
• World Meeting on Sexual Medicine (WMSM)
• ISSM Uncovered Podcast
• ISSM SEXTalks
• The Journal of Sexual Medicine (JSM)
• Sexual Medicine Reviews (SMR)
• Sexual Medicine (SMOA)

Products and services

• The Journal of Sexual Medicine (JSM) The official peer-reviewed journal of ISSM publishing research on sexual medicine topics. Became a monthly publication in 2008 and achieved an impact factor of 6.199 in 2007. Designed for physicians, researchers, and specialists.
• Sexual Medicine - Gold Open Access (SMOA) A gold open access journal publishing research on sexual medicine with open accessibility. Designed for authors seeking open-access publication and readers worldwide.
• Sexual Medicine Reviews (SMR) A journal featuring state-of-the-art reviews in sexual medicine, launched in 2012 with first impact factor of 4.836 in 2021. Targets clinicians and researchers seeking synthesized evidence.
• Video Journal of Sexual Medicine (VJSM) An online-only video journal providing visual content on sexual medicine topics. Designed for practitioners who prefer multimedia learning formats.
• ISSM University An educational platform offering courses and educational content on sexual medicine for medical professionals. Structured for continuing medical education and professional development.
• ISSM Webinars Web-based educational seminars on sexual medicine topics for professional development. Delivered to members and healthcare professionals.
• Clinical Guidelines Evidence-based clinical guidelines for sexual medicine practice developed by ISSM. Used by clinicians to standardize patient care and treatment decisions.
• International Consultation on Sexual Medicine (ICSM) Biennial international consultations bringing together experts to develop recommendations for diagnostic evaluation and management of sexual dysfunctions. Used by clinicians and guideline developers.
• World Meeting on Sexual Medicine (WMSM) Biennial scientific conference bringing together sexual medicine professionals worldwide. Co-hosted with regional affiliated societies such as ESSM and SMSNA.
• ISSM Surgical Courses Surgical training courses for sexual medicine procedures. Designed for surgeons seeking hands-on procedural training.
• Research Summaries Summaries of sexual medicine research findings for professional consumption. Used by clinicians to stay current with the literature.
• ISSM Discussion Forum An online community forum for ISSM members to discuss sexual medicine topics. Provides peer-to-peer professional collaboration.
• Find a Provider Directory A public service directory to locate sexual health providers in a user's area, powered by Status Plus. Free public-facing resource connecting patients with certified providers.
• Sexual Health Q&A Consumer-facing question and answer articles addressing sexual health topics for the general public. Free resource published by ISSM for public education.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• APSSM - Asia Pacific Society for Sexual MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional affiliated society representing Asia Pacific region in the ISSM network, contributing to global sexual medicine research and education initiatives.
• ESSM - European Society for Sexual MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional affiliated society for Europe, organizing joint conferences with ISSM including biennial World Meetings and supporting ISSM School of Sexual Medicine scholarships.
• ISSWSH - International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDominant sexual scientific society for women affiliated with ISSM, contributing to research and education in female sexual health.
• MESSM - Middle East Society for Sexual MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional affiliated society established with ISSM support to serve Middle East region in sexual medicine education and research.
• SASSM - South Asian Society for Sexual MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional affiliated society representing South Asia in the ISSM global network.
• SLAMS - Sociedad Latinoamericana de Medicina SexualcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional affiliated society for Latin America, co-hosting World Meetings on Sexual Medicine.
• SMSNA - Sexual Medicine Society of North AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional affiliated society for North America, co-hosting World Meetings and collaborating on scientific programs with ISSM.
• Status Plus (Business Office)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOfficial business office of the society since 1998, handling meeting organization and administrative operations. First standalone Treasurer position established in 2000.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA): North American regional affiliate of ISSM, dedicated to sexual medicine research, education, and clinical guidelines. Directly comparable as a member society publishing journals and hosting annual meetings in the same niche.
• International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH): Global scientific society focused on female sexual health, affiliated with ISSM. Comparable as a specialty society producing research, guidelines, and meetings in an overlapping subspecialty.
• European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM): European regional affiliate of ISSM, organizing joint conferences and supporting ISSM School of Sexual Medicine scholarships. Operates the same member-society model in sexual medicine and co-hosts World Meetings.

Broad incumbents

• Endocrine Society: Large specialty society publishing multiple high-impact journals (e.g., JCEM) and running ENDO annual meeting. Comparable as a specialty scholarly society with overlapping interest in hormonal aspects of sexual medicine.
• American Urological Association (AUA): Larger generalist urology society publishing the Journal of Urology and hosting the AUA Annual Meeting. Competes for sexual medicine research and CME attention across an overlapping clinician base.
• European Association of Urology (EAU): European generalist urology body publishing European Urology and running the EAU Congress. Competes for sexual medicine publications and meeting attendance from European clinicians.
• American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM): Major reproductive medicine society publishing Fertility and Sterility and running annual congresses. Overlaps with ISSM on reproductive and sexual health topics and shares the same member-driven scholarly publishing model.

Emerging players

• International Continence Society (ICS): Global multidisciplinary society focused on continence and pelvic floor disorders, overlapping significantly with sexual medicine research and clinician audience, with a comparable journal and annual meeting model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISSM_INFO

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Society for Sexual Medicine