Washington, DC -- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) will hold its 55th Annual Clinical Meeting (ACM) from Saturday, May 5, through Wednesday, May 9, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

ACOG's ACM is one of the largest gatherings of women's health care physicians in the US. Thousands of ob-gyns, experts in related fields, exhibitors, and guests will participate in the meeting, which includes clinical and educational seminars, postgraduate courses, poster sessions, paper presentations, and updates on current issues. Improvements in obstetric care and delivery, developments in cancer screenings, and advancements in gynecologic treatments will all be discussed at this year's meeting.

Some conference highlights:

MONDAY, May 7

8:45 - 10:30 am
1st Scientific Session - President's Program
Samuel A. Cosgrove Memorial Lecture
Moderator: Douglas W. Laube, MD, MEd, ACOG President
Womanly Mysteries: Evolutionary Enigmas of the Female Sex
David P. Barash, PhD, Seattle, WA
Improving Societal Well being Through Women's Health Care Education
M. Joycelyn Elders, MD, MS, Little Rock, AR
Observations of a Partially Paralyzed Gynecologist
Dale Hull, MD, Salt Lake City, UT

2:30 - 4 pm
2nd Scientific Session
Update on Down Syndrome Screening
Deborah A. Driscoll, MD, Philadelphia, PA

Clinical Seminars
11 am - 12:15 pm
Contraception for Adolescents and Young Women: Improving Long-Term Use
Tina R. Raine, MD, MPH, San Francisco, CA
Course and Treatment of Depression During Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Lactation
Diana L. Dell, MD, Durham, NC
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Women's Health
Raymond L. Cox, MD, MBA, Baltimore, MD

TUESDAY, May 8

8 - 9:15 am
4th Scientific Session - The Irvin M. Cushner Memorial Lecture
Global Family Planning at the Dawn of the 21st Century
Herbert Peterson, MD, Chapel Hill, NC
The Politics of Ensuring Equitable Access to Contraceptive Services State-by-State
Kathryn Moore, Washington, DC

2:30 pm - 5:15 pm
6th Scientific Session - The Donald F. Richardson Memorial Lecture
The Evolving Role of Cesarean Delivery
Gordon C.S. Smith, MD, PhD, Cambridge, UK; Michael Helewa, MD, Winnipeg, Manitoba;
Mary E. D'Alton, MD, New York, NY

Clinical Seminars
2 - 3:15 pm
An Update on Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Vaginitis
Kevin A. Ault, MD, Atlanta, GA; Jennifer Gunter, MD, Denver, CO
Plan B: Where Do We Go From Here?
Eve Espey, MD, Albuquerque, NM; Tony Ogburn, MD, Albuquerque, NM
Labor and Delivery in the New Millennium
Carolyn M. Zelop, MD, Hartford, CT

4th Current Issues Update
3:30 - 5:15 pm
Late-Breaking News - Experts from maternal-fetal medicine, gynecologic oncology, urogynecology, and reproductive endocrinology will give an update on hot topics in ob-gyn, including information from ongoing research related to reproductive technology, contraception, prematurity, oncology, and genetics that will have a significant impact on the future of women's health.

WEDNESDAY, May 9

9 - 10:30 am
Presidential Inauguration and Convocation
Kenneth L. Noller, MD will be installed as the 58th President of ACOG.

11 am - Noon
7th Scientific Session - The John I. Brewer Memorial Lecture
Human Papillomavirus Vaccines: Development and Clinical Usage
Kevin A. Ault, MD, Atlanta, GA; Eileen F. Dunne, MD, MPH, Atlanta, GA

2 - 3 pm
9th Scientific Session - The Morton and Diane Stenchever Lecture
Osteoporosis: Beyond the T Score
Dale W. Stovall, MD, Richmond, VA

# # #