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Cruise Conference Planning For Your Association

Sensitive Topics in Women's Health: Sexuality, Menopause and Mental Health

7-Night Western Mediterranean Cruise
Round-trip Barcelona, Spain
April 20 - 27, 2025
Royal Caribbean's <em>Allure of the Seas</em>
Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas
14 CE Credits for Psychologists
14 ASWB ACE Credits
14.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
14 ACPE Credits
14.0 Contact Hours
Course Fees
$995.00 for Physicians, Pharmacists, & Attorneys
$795.00 for PAs, NPs, Psychologists, & Psychiatrists
$595 for Nurses, Students, Social Workers, and Others

Target Audience
Psychologists, Social WorkersPhysicians, Physician Assistants, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Pharmacists
Program Purpose / Objectives
  1. Caring for perimenopause and menopause patients in 2025: diagnosis, common symptoms, treatments
    • Understand the physiology of perimenopause and menopause
    • Utilize the 2022 Position Statement of the North American Menopause Society to inform care of midlife women experiencing perimenopause and menopause
  2. 51 is Getting Younger all the Time: maximizing long-term health in menopause
    • Explain the differences in cardiac response to HT in younger menopausal women versus older menopausal women
    • Individualize care for symptomatic menopausal women with medical comorbidities
    • Consider the effect of hormone therapy in promoting bone health
  3. Mood and Menopause: diagnosis and treatment of Perimenopausal Mood Instability
    • Differentiate perimenopausal mood instability (PMI) from major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
    • List effective treatments for PMI including psychological and pharmacological approaches
  4. I Can't Sleep and I'm Getting Fat: evaluating and treating the twin scourges of midlife
    • Recognize the signs and symptoms of common sleep disorders and list behavioral and pharmacologic treatments for them
    • Define the common disease of obesity and list effective psychotherapeutic and medical treatments
  5. Nutrition and the Aging Brain: can we prevent dementia?
    • Understand how nutrition impacts brain changes with aging
    • Describe what we can learn from the Blue Zones and other research about nutrition and healthy aging brain
    • Develop skills to talk with patients and ensure a brain-healthy diet is accessible to them
  6. Beyond Masters and Johnson: models of female sexuality
    • Describe the four major models of female sexual behavior
    • Utilize the four models to counsel patients with concerns regarding their sexual function
  7. Female Sexual Dysfunction: disorders of desire, arousal, and orgasm
    • Be familiar with the DSM-V diagnostic categories of female sexual dysfunction
    • Utilize the ISSWSH Process of Care to manage hypoactive sexual desire disorder
    • List at least 2 behavioral and 2 pharmacological treatment options for female sexual dysfunction
  8. When Sex Hurts: causes and treatments of dyspareunia
    • Utilize a stepwise approach to diagnosis of dyspareunia
    • Explain and initiate treatment when appropriate
  9. Beyond Postpartum Depression: Diagnosis and Treatment of Perinatal Anxiety Disorders
    • Identify which anxiety disorders most commonly present in the perinatal period
    • Describe the role of estrogen, progesterone and oxytocin in the etiology of these disorders
  10. Bipolar Disorder in Women: Meeting the Challenge 1: Managing Bipolar Disorder in the non-pregnant female patient
    • Describe evidence-based management of bipolar disorder in women
    • Identify how hormonal treatment may impact course of disorder as well as treatment options
  11. Bipolar Disorder in Women 2: Meeting the Challenge 2: Managing Bipolar Disorder during Pregnancy and Postpartum
    • Describe options for treatment of bipolar disorder during pregnant and postpartum to optimize safety of mother and infant
    • Discuss with your patient the risk/benefit ratio of the use of psychotropics during the perinatal period
  12. Diagnose sexual dysfunction in females (FSD) using DSM-5 terminology
    • Identify common barriers in identification of FSD in clinical settings
    • Develop a treatment plan for women with FSD
  13. Evidence Based Approaches to Female Patients with Low Libido
    • Describe 3 behavioral interventions for the female patient with low libido
    • Describe both hormonal and non-hormonal treatments for low libido in females
  14. Reproductive Psychiatry: 2025 Update and Overview
    • Describe key parameters of the field of Reproductive Psychiatry in 2025 and why it is relevant today
    • Define the role of Neuroactive Steroids (NAS) in both the etiology and the treatment of psychiatric conditions in the female patient
  15. Depression Across the Female Reproductive Cycle 1: Focus on PMDD and PME
    • Identify the hormonal effect on depression in the non-pregnant female
    • Describe diagnostic criteria for PMDD and hormonal and non-hormonal interventions
  16. Depression Across the Female Reproductive Cycle 2: Focus on Perinatal Depression
    • Recognize unique features to consider in the diagnosis and treatment of perinatal depression
    • Identify and become comfortable using with at least three screening tools for PMADs
    • List several biopsychosocial risk factors for PMADs
  17. Perinatal Anxiety Disorder
    • Identify clinical presentation of various anxiety disorders during the perinatal period.
    • Develop a bio psych social treatment plan for women with perinatal anxiety disorders.
  18. Managing Bipolar Disorder and Psychosis during Pregnancy and Postpartum
    • Identify the etiology, clinical onset and prognosis of Bipolar and psychosis during the perinatal period.
    • Describe options for treatment of bipolar disorder during pregnant and postpartum to optimize safety of mother and infant
    • Discuss with your patient the risk/benefit ratio of the use of psychotropics during the perinatal period
Conference Sessions generally take place on days at sea (as itinerary allows), giving you plenty of time to enjoy your meals, evenings and ports of call with your companion, family and friends.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All conferees, their families, and guests must book their cruise within the University at Sea® meeting group through University at Sea® at 800-926-3775 or by registering online. This ensures our company can provide conference services and complimentary social amenities to all meeting participants and their guests. Thank you for your cooperation.
Faculty

Karen E. Adams, MD, NCMP, IF

Karen E. Adams, MD, NCMP, IF
Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Director, Program in Menopause & Healthy Aging
Stanford Medicine
Stanford, CA Karen Adams MD, FACOG, DipACLM, NCMP, IF is Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University. She is the Director of The Stanford Program in Menopause and Healthy Aging, a program that connects specialists in many fields to provide world-class care for women in the second half of life. Dr. Adams is double-board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Lifestyle Medicine, a Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner, and a fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health. She is the course director for the Oregon ECHO Program in Menopause, a state-wide program to educate primary care and women’s health providers in menopause care.

Dr. Adams is an award-winning educator and has lectured to medical audiences locally, nationally, and internationally, including a January 2020 TEDx talk entitled 'Sleep, Sex, and Menopausal Zest" with over 150,000 views on YouTube.

Nicole Harrington Cirino, MD

Nicole Harrington Cirino, MD
Reproductive Psychiatrist
Endowed Chair of Reproductive Psychiatry, Maureen Hackett Foundation
Director, Division of Reproductive Psychiatry
Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Baylor College of Medicine/ Texas Children's Hospital
The Women's Place (Reproductive Psychiatry), Texas Children's Pavilion for Women Dr. Nicole Cirino is a Reproductive Psychiatrist (Board Certified MD physician) and Senior Faculty member in both the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and in the Department of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine/ Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas. She the Division Director of the Division of Reproductive Psychiatry, which is one of the leading programs in the field nationally and is housed within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Texas Childrens Medical Center in the Women's Pavillion.

She was fellowship trained in Reproductive Psychiatry at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine where she also completed her Psychiatry Residency. Reproductive Psychiatry is a specialty area of Psychiatry that focuses exclusively on the treatment of women across the reproductive life cycle. She teaches topics including Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Menopause and Mood Disorders, and Female Sexual Medicine to medical students, residents, fellows and practicing clinicians internationally. Besides psychotropic and hormonal interventions she is also skilled in Interpersonal Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Sex Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy as well as other evidence based behavioral interventions.

Dr. Cirino is also a specialist in Female Sexual Medicine. She is a Certified Sex Therapist through the governing body American Association of Sexual Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). She is also an International Fellow with the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH).

Dr. Cirino's research interests involve medical and behavioral therapy interventions for perinatal mental health conditions and female sexual dysfunction. She recently moved to Houston, Texas from Portland, Oregon and is married with three children. Traveling with family and friends and teaching are her greatest passions.

Our staff can assist you with all your travel arrangements.

Questions? Call us at 800-422-0711.
We can assist you with all your travel arrangements. We'd be happy to help you plan your flights, hotels or tours before and/or after your cruise conference.

Cruise Itinerary

DATE PORT OF CALL ARRIVE DEPART
Sun Apr 20 Barcelona, Spain
- 6:00 pm
Mon Apr 21 Palma De Mallorca, Spain
8:00 am 6:00 pm
Tue Apr 22 *At Sea - Cruising
- -
Wed Apr 23 La Spezia, Italy
7:00 am 8:00 pm
Thu Apr 24 Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
7:00 am 7:00 pm
Fri Apr 25 Naples, Italy
7:00 am 7:00 pm
Sat Apr 26 *At Sea - Cruising
- -
Sun Apr 27 Barcelona, Spain
5:00 am -
*Tentative course schedule, actual class times may differ.

Ports of Call

Barcelona, Spain -

Barcelona is a one of the world's great cities. Stroll down her tree-lined boulevards, the magnificent Passeig de Gràcia or the more touristed Las Ramblas. On the Passeig, shop a serious fashion district while marveling at examples of Mordenisme architecture, seemingly sculpted from the stuff of dreams (Gaudi's masterpiece of a family home, Casa Batlló is well worth a visit). If a trip on the Passeig hasn't convinced you of Gaudi's genius, a visit to La Sagrada Familia Cathedral will do the trick; this fantastic, soaring marvel will live on in your memory long after you've returned.

Not far from the Passeig and just north of Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter (the Barri Gotic) provides an abundance of shopping opportunities for all tastes, and a bit of European history to boot - check out the tranquil Cathedral of Barcelona. To see a bit of local life a visit to a food market is a quick, fun detour: try Santa Caterina near the Cathedral or Mercado de La Boqueria, right off of Las Ramblas.

Barcelona's food is also a highlight: stop into a tapas bar and try a variety of delicacies. "Standard" restaurants of every style are available, too. And, there's music, too! Visit an underground jazz club or the magnificent Palau de la Música Catalana; or stop by the Palau Dalmases for a stunning, flamenco performance (it's near the Picasso museum). Did we mention art? One of the largest collections of Picasso's art is found at the Museau Picasso, and a great collection of contemporary, figurative (i.e not abstract) painting and sculpture is housed at the European Museum of Modern Art just around the corner.

It's probably clear by now that you really can't get it all done in a day (even if all means "just the must-sees"). So, stay for a day or three in the Gothic Quarter or near Plaça de Catalunya and really get a feel for what makes Barcelona such a wonderful place. Partly it's the result of the "accidents" of its history and present: as the regional capital of Spain's prosperous Catalunya region, Barcelona has a "flavor" that is a bit of a mix between Spanish and French (it's located quite close to the French border). Yes, you can practice your Spanish here - it attracts Spaniards from throughout the country - but you'll also see and hear Catalan with it's own charm. You won't regret your time here.

Palma De Mallorca, Spain - The Spanish island of Mallorca offers towering mountains and dramatic cliffs rising over clear, blue water — but its jewel is Palma de Mallorca, the island's capital and largest city, where you'll find quaint historic streets, Gothic castles and gastronomic delights. Cruise to Palma de Mallorca and check out one-of-a-kind Palma Cathedral: The 14th-century Gothic spires of exterior contrast the modernist interior designed by in the early 1900s by Gaudi. See the circular courtyard and Arab-inspired arches of Castell de Bellver, and take in the fresh scent of the miles of pine forest that surround it. Or rent bikes and pedal east to Palma Beach, where you can soak in the sun on the white sands and clear waves.

At Sea - Cruising - Cruising

La Spezia, Italy - La Spezia, Italy is a lovely Ligurian town not far from some of Italy’s most attractive sites, including Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terra and even Genoa. It is an ideal port of call for an overnight stay, depsite not being well-known outside Italy. Historically, La Spezia was a prominent trade center during the Roman Empire. Today it remains not only one of Italy’s busiest port towns, but also home to the country’s largest naval base. As a cruise port, La Spezia is convenient, centrally located and a little underrated. This is the region reputed to make the world's best olive oil; be sure to try a local focaccia to see for yourself.

The Cinque Terre are merely a short train trip from Stazione La Spezia Centrale (no roads), making it easy to explore the port of call and surrounding areas in a day or half-day excursion. Florence, home of the Renaissance, is just two hours away;start your day on the coast of the Ligurian Sea and end the day looking up in awe at the Gothic-style Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Genoa is also well within reach, a little closer than Florence really, and is a quite beautiful city.

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy - Extraordinary architecture, millennia of turbulent history, magnificent basilicas concealing unimaginable riches, and ornate fountains splashing at the heart of sun-drenched piazzas are just some of the many reasons to visit Rome. Art greets you on every corner, from elaborate statues to delicate frescoes. Stroll the ancient center and history comes to life as you explore the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Roman Forum. Enjoy Italian café culture in Trastevere, where you can wander the narrow streets and soak up a sense of la dolce vita, or throw a coin into the baroque Trevi Fountain to guarantee your return to this vibrant, intoxicating city.

Naples, Italy - Capital of Southern Italy and the largest city in Campania, Naples is the third most populated city in Italy (after Rome and Milan) with over a million inhabitants. It's the most important industrial center and trading port for the South. Naples itself can provide a day's fun and entertainment, if its somewhat rundown appearance doesn't dissuade you. Or, join a tour of incredible Pompeii, frozen in time since A.D. 79 when Mt. Vesuvius brought an end to that then-thriving city. Or, take a quick ferry across the bay to the flowery Isle of Capri. Or, (yes, there's more) visit fabulous Sorrento, vacation spot for the well to do.

Our staff can assist you with all your travel arrangements.

Questions? Call us at 800-422-0711.
We can assist you with all your travel arrangements. We'd be happy to help you plan your flights, hotels or tours before and/or after your cruise conference.
SHORE EXCURSIONS
Please note that our shore excursions are operated separately and
independently of those offered by the cruise line.
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