Dr. Gabrijela Simetinger

Dr Gabrijela Simetinger works at the Novo mesto General Hospital, where she is a gynaecologist and obstetrician. For nine years now, she has also been working in the sexological outpatient clinic, to which women with sexual intercourse-related issues turn for advice and potential therapy. She is also the president of the Slovenian Sexological Association. In her work, she often encounters different sexual stereotypes and expectations society has towards women and their sexuality. The latter are frequently the reason for the problems due to which women turn to her for help. Her approach is based on interdisciplinary collaboration between medicine, sociology, and feminism. She teaches women how to get to know their body, how to accept their own desires and needs, how to get rid of feelings of shame and guilt connected to (physical) self-image and sexuality, and how to set boundaries in (sexual) intercourse. Dr Simetinger is one of the few gynaecologists and healthcare workers in Slovenia who raises the awareness of the public and educates on vaginism. Her active efforts to change the deeply rooted beliefs and social dogmas about sex encompasses a different perspective on both the female and male sexuality and acceptance of different sexual identities and sexuality. At a time when an increasing number of stories about sexual harassment and abuse of women are made public; at a time when the reproductive rights of women are being increasingly scrutinised by neoconservative misogynists, it is all the more important to have doctors and other healthcare workers of Gabrijela’s stature working in a public healthcare system accessible to everyone.