Sexual Health Research

Robert Thomson

Course coordinator, lecturer and faculty member with the Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research since 2006, Robert Thomson provides technical assistance and expertise in public health monitoring and evaluation, including of higher education and training programmes. He trained in clinical psychology in the UK and also has a degree in theology. Robert has worked in non-governmental youth work (1980-1992), intergovernmental agencies (1992-2009) and presently in the governmental public health sector. He carries out various academic and civil society functions.

Fields of professional interest

Development and policy:
Comprehensive health, social and youth policy formulation.
Human resources planning and training.
Multilateral programming and the UN development assistance framework.

Sexuality and reproductive health:
Adolescent health.
AIDS including HIV counselling and testing. S
taff training in sexual health, gender, culture and sexuality.
Condom, contraceptive and other commodity accessibility for young people.

Social and preventive health:
Mental health of adolescents, counsellor training, and peer based methodologies.

Professional memberships

Include Editorial Board “Entre Nous” the European Magazine on Sexuality and Reproductive Health, 1999 to present. Swiss Association for Adolescent Health, 1998 to present. European Commission and Council of Europe Trainers, Online for Youth database, see Trainer Profile: Robert Thomson.

Publications

Include Moldova case study in “Youth-friendly health policies and services ...” (WHO 2010), Book reviewer for Teachers College Record, Columbia University, New York (2006). Compiled health chapter of UN Secretary General’s report Global Situation of the World’s Youth, published 2004 by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Wrote chapter Growing-up Healthy in Monitoring Eastern Europe, published 1999 by UNICEF. Contributor and joint editor of Coming of Age, a guide to adolescent sexual and reproductive health situation analysis, published 1997 by WHO. Regular articles for UN in-house journals.