introduction 10th seminar

Welcome to Belgrade to The 10th European Society of Contraception and

Reproductive Health Seminar (18-19 September 2009)    

The 10th Seminar of the

European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health “Unwanted

Pregnancy or Abortion” will be held at Kolarac Foundation, the university

centre settled in the heart of the city of Belgrade from 18th to 19th September

2009.

The scientific part has been divided into two plenary sessions, free

communication sessions, as well as six workshops. It will review the issues

around unwanted conception versus contraception, including the role of health

care professionals in the promotion of modern contraception and its impact on

the quality of life. Benefits, risks and reasons for discontinuation,

contraceptive choice and use among adolescents and those aged over 35 as well as

post natal contraception are the proposed topics for the free communication

sessions. Practical aspects of contraceptive use are planned for the workshops.

Many international experts, like Jean-Jacques Amy, Dan Apter, Gyorgy Bartfai and

Johannes Bitzer will be invited as speakers to this seminar. Local experts will

also give lectures. There will be simultaneous translation into English and

Serbian.

This 10th ESC Seminar will be interesting for colleagues who want to

increase their own knowledge and wish to share their experiences in how we can

to reduce the barriers in contraceptive use. We are expecting mainly attendants

from Serbia. However, colleagues who work in the field of contraception from

neighborhood countries and other European countries are also warmly invited to

come to Belgrade. We promise an unforgettable social programme, too.

Belgrade (Beograd)

is the capital of Serbia, and has a population of around 1.6 million. It is

situated in South-Eastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula, at the confluence of

the Sava and Danube rivers. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe and has

since ancient times been an important focal point for traffic, an intersection

of the roads of Eastern and Western Europe. The official language is Serbian,

while visitors from abroad can use English to communicate. There are almost 300

cultural monuments within the territory of Belgrade.

Belgrade has a reputation

for offering a vibrant nightlife with the most recognisable feature being the

barges spread along the banks of the Sava and Danube Rivers.

A more traditional

Serbian nightlife experience including traditional music can be found in

Skadarlija, the city’s old bohemian neighborhood, where the poets and artists

gathered in the nineteenth century and early twentieth century.

Belgrade has an

extensive public transport system based on buses, trams, and trolleybuses.

Belgrade also has a commuter rail network, and the main railway station connects

Belgrade with other European capitals and many towns in Serbia. The motorway

system provides for easy access to Budapest. The city is also served by Belgrade

Nikola Tesla Airport (IATA: BEG), 12 kilometres west of the city centre, near

Surcin. The communication with the City is along Belgrade-Zagreb highway. All

major international airlines have regular service to Belgrade.

Yours sincerely, 

Katarina Sedlecky, MD, PhD

Johannes Bitzer, MD, PhD

10th Seminar Organiser

ESC

President