AASECT Call For Abstracts

Present to peers across the fields of human sexuality at the 2024 AASECT Annual Conference.

All Together Now: Lifting Our Voice for Community – That’s the theme of the 2024 AASECT Annual Conference!

We are soliciting abstract proposals for 2024 AASECT Annual Conference sessions, June 12 – June 15, at the iconic St. Louis Union Station Hotel. Do you have an idea that would make an engaging session offering?

Session Types: Pre-conference Workshop  •  Dialogue Panel Presentation  •  Poster Presentation  •  Workshop  •  Original Research Session  •  Roundtable  •  Fireside Chat – additional details are included in the submission portal.

Submit your abstract by October 20, 2023.

Visit the submission portal

Portal Access – You will be promoted to sign in with your AASECT website login. If you do not have one already, learn how to create an account.

Inspiration for your Abstract:

We particularly encourage submissions focusing on, but not limited to, the following:

      • Reproductive justice and health
      • Trans advocacy, visibility, justice, activism around the harms that have been done inside and outside, and trans-affirming sexual health
      • Engaging local, state, national, and international policymakers around issues of sexual health and vitality
      • Exploring practices of community leadership, education, communication and engagement in issues of sex, sexuality and gender 
      • Exploring ethical issues and perspectives related to sexuality and our profession specifically. For example, what ethics surround non-consensual contraceptive practices?
      • Intersectionality and expanding approaches that honor multiple identities. For example, what is intersectionality? How can a student or client be better served by an intersectional approach? We are particularly interested in intersectional research and practice case examples related to sexuality and how such work can inform practice
      • Affirming examinations of various gender and sexuality-related identities that are often less discussed, including asexuality, bisexuality, trans*, transgender and pansexuality, as well as genders and sexual orientations related to specific cultural groups. (ie, Two-Spirit, Muxes, Māhū, Fa’afafine)
      • Sexual response and sexual functioning (e.g., sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, erectile function, dyspareunia, etc.) and innovative/novel evidence-based ways of addressing these issues.
      • Sexuality issues across the lifespan, such as those related to childhood, adolescence, pregnancy, postpartum, menopause and older age.
      • Expanding avenues for advocacy, allyship and solidarity, both as individuals and professionals. For example, what does allyship mean in movements different from one’s identity/identities? How can one honor the intent of a movement without co-opting the original perspective?
      • Evidence-based and/or practice examples of addressing diverse identities within our field, practice and/or educational setting.
      • Medical and therapeutic aspects of human sexuality including cutting-edge treatments available for health conditions (e.g., genital dermatoses, incontinence, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pelvic pain) that affect sexual response and/or functioning
      • Deepening our understanding of the impacts of systems of inequity on the members of our field/AASECT and the individuals we serve. For example, what sources of inequities can contribute to limited student, client and/or research subject engagement?
      • Examining transdisciplinary approaches to education, counseling, therapy and research that reflect diverse abilities, backgrounds, identities and variations in communication. For example, how can practitioners from different disciplines collaborate and share ideas or approaches to inform educational and therapeutic content, models and practices?
      • Building resilience toward handling backlash to create a more inclusive field. For example, what are sexuality professionals doing to promote a culture of inclusion and collaboration that doesn’t invalidate each other’s experiences?
      • Findings from sexuality research that are likely to significantly impact educators, counselors and/or therapists’ practices.
      • Evidence-based interventions related to reducing sexual assault and/or addressing sexual trauma.
      • Exploring technological advancements and devices that facilitate engagement, promote communication and foster understanding of human sexuality.
      • Assessing the accessibility of sexually explicit media and toys, sexual health care, condoms and contraception, sexuality information, education, counseling and therapy. For example, what best practices exist to include American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation or Audio Description (AD) in sexually explicit media? What accessibility considerations exist around using sexual aids for individuals with disabilities? What approaches can improve access to education, counseling and/or therapy services by individuals with a broad array of abilities?
      • Exploring collaboration with professionals outside of the field of sexuality to better address the needs and desires of our students and clients. For example, how can we, as a field, support increased sexuality education for ASL interpreters so that they are better able to communicate sexuality-related topics in their work?
      • Skills-building for mid-career and more seasoned therapists, counselors and/or educators.