PRESENTATION
Our research group, Salusex, is a collaboration between the Universitat Jaume I (UJI) and the Universitat de València (UV). Dr. Rafael Ballester is the coordinator at the UJI and Dr. Mª Dolores Gil at the UV. Both professors are university professors in different fields of knowledge. Rafael Ballester, in the field of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatments and Mª Dolores Gil, in the field of Developmental and Educational Psychology, which gives them a more clinical profile in the first instance and a more educational profile in the second. This confluence and synergy of profiles is undoubtedly an enriching feature for a group that focuses its research and interventions both in the field of sexual health promotion and psychological intervention regarding sexual problems. The experience of the group, apart from that, is the result of almost thirty years of teaching, research and intervention.
In addition to its coordinators, the group has been growing since its start and the number of researchers that make up the core group now totals twelve. Four of them are assistant professors (Cristina Giménez, Estefanía Ruiz, Beatriz Gil and Jesús Castro), three are research staff (Vicente Morell, Marta García and Juan Enrique Nebot), one person is contracted within a project (Naiara Martínez) and two others work as collaborators within certain projects (Lorena Caballero and Olga Fernández). Nine of the twelve members of Salusex are doctors and all have extensive applied and research experience.
Since its beginnings, Salusex has trained more than twenty researchers who have contributed to our achievements.
- 1993First study on sexual health in adolescents, young people and adults in the Valencian Community.
- 1995First study on homosexuality and prevalence of sexual dysfunctions in the general population.
- 1999Epidemiological study on health habits in Spain. Publication of the first books on male prostitution and on the psychological treatment of people with HIV on the Spanish context.
- 2000Study of health-related attitudes and behaviours in Nicaragua. Development of a programme to promote adherence to treatment among people living with HIV and analysis of its effectiveness.
- 2001Sexual Risk Behaviours for HIV Transmission: Analysis of Predictors
- 2002Validation of primary and secondary prevention programmes aimed at young people
- 2003Analysis of the differential effectiveness of different preventive strategies for HIV transmission
- 2004Health promotion via body image. Evolution of HIV risk attitudes and practices among young people. First study on sexuality in children aged 9-14 years.
- 2006Study on the influence of certain dispositional variables on sexual risk-taking behaviour
- 2007HIV prevention programme in schools together with the AITANA group of the Miguel Hernández University. Study on the existence of a psychological risk profile associated with a lower impact of prevention programmes.
- 2009Sexual and Reproductive Health in El Salvador and Argentina
- 2010Quality of life in people with HIV and effectiveness of a psychological intervention programme. First study on cybersex: first validation of a questionnaire to be applied in the Hispanic field.
- 2011Analysis of the effectiveness of an HIV prevention programme aimed at adolescents together with the AITANA group of the Miguel Hernández University. Awarded the Azahar Foundation prize for the group's trajectory and its social work in health promotion.
- 2012Sexual compulsivity: prevalence, comorbidity and efficacy of an intervention programme. First study on transsexuality: validation of a sexual health assessment tool. Second large study on male sex workers.
- 2013First national study on the use of ICTs for sexual purposes: Cybersex. Awarded the Banco Santander prize for scientific dissemination.
- 2015First study of sexuality and quality of life in adults with intellectual disabilities: consequences of sexual abuse
- 2016Development and evaluation of the first platform for online assessment and treatment of cybersex addiction. Research on sexuality in older people
- 2017Care for female victims of sexual violence: A programme in Mexico
- 2018First study on sexting in Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina and Chile National study on affective-sexual diversity and problems associated with discrimination and social rejection.