Embargo Policy for SMSNA Annual Meeting Sessions & Abstracts

The SMSNA recognizes media are major contributors to health and medical coverage worldwide and have the responsibility to keep the general public informed. Distribution and use of advance materials form the SMSNA Annual Fall Scientific Meeting is covered under the SMSNA embargo policy, which is in place to ensure news reporters have the opportunity to write accurate and well-researched news stories on often complex scientific topics, while ensuring publicity does not appear prematurely.

All members of the press as well as abstract authors, public information officers, public relations firms, organizations, local academic or medical institutions and anyone else with access to abstract or research information are required to adhere to SMSNA’s embargo policy. The embargo includes coverage of all research being presented as well as all formats of release, including the Scientific Sessions online itinerary planner, App Abstracts on CD, hard copy Abstract Book (including the supplement to the Journal of Sexual Medicine), online via the Association’s website, and other presentations.

Embargo dates typically reflect the day and time the presentation, meeting or course begins. Coverage of the material is strictly prohibited before this date and time. Embargoed information is not to be made public in any format, including print, television, radio or the internet before the embargo date.

Journalists are not to redistribute the information within or outside their news organizations except for the following condition: journalists may share embargoed information with experts within the field for the purpose of obtaining relevant commentary or quotes. Journalists are responsible for ensuring all third parties honor the embargo date.

Any decision to lift an embargo early is at the sole discretion of the SMSNA. Journalists with questions about the date of an embargo, suspected embargo breaks or whether the embargo has been lifted for whatever reason should contact Tessa Benitez, SMSNA Associate Executive Director, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. immediately.

The embargo system is based on trust, and the SMSNA appreciates the vast majority of journalists respect the embargo. If you are an editor, please stress the terms of the embargo system with your reporters.

The purpose of the embargo policy is to protect the novelty and integrity of the abstract submissions presented at the Association's Scientific Sessions. This policy recognizes that all submissions are to be considered as preliminary until the time of the presentation or authorized release. Premature release of information contained in any abstract will result in the individual, as well as the employer/affiliated company, institution, organization, etc. being removed from the Scientific Sessions.

Specific Embargo Dates and Times:

• Oral Presentations: Abstracts selected for oral presentation are embargoed from the time of submission until the date/time of presentation.
• Poster Presentations: Abstracts selected for both moderated as well as unmoderated poster presentation and the respective posters are embargoed from the time of submission until 2:00 pm (local time) of the 1st day of the SMSNA Annual Meeting.
• Publication Only: Abstracts selected for publish only are embargoed from the time of submission until 2:00 pm (local time) of the 1st day of the SMSNA Annual Meeting.

Expectations to Embargo Policy - Publicly Traded Companies

A pharmaceutical or device manufacturer that is publicly traded may be advised by its legal counsel that, in order to comply with requirements of the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (S.E.C.) or a corresponding regulatory body in the country where the company's stock is traded, it must publicly disclose certain data from its submitted abstract prior to the Association's authorized release of the abstract.

Under such extenuating circumstances, and upon appropriate request, the SMSNA may grant an exception to its embargo policy and allow the company to release limited top line data from the abstract without jeopardizing its eligibility to be presented at the Association's Scientific Sessions. To request such an exception, a letter stating that disclosure of the information is necessary to comply with applicable securities laws needs to be sent via email to Tessa Benitez, SMSNA Associate Executive Director, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and copy the corresponding author of the abstract.

The Association will evaluate these requests on a case-by-case basis and reserves the right to change the type of presentation (from oral presentation to poster presentation) or remove the abstract from the meeting program if it determines that the released information may substantially detract from the novelty of the annual meeting presentation.

Questions regarding the correct embargo dates/times for the Association's Scientific Sessions should be addressed to Tessa Benitez, SMSNA Associate Executive Director, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The SMSNA 24th Annual Fall Scientific Meeting is organized by the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) and will take place in San Diego, CA on November 16-19, 2023. The SMSNA promotes, encourages, and supports the highest standards of practice, research, education, and ethics in the study of human sexual function and dysfunction. The SMSNA welcomes media representatives to its meetings to report objectively on scientific presentations and environmental issues. Registration is complementary for editorial staff representatives of general circulation newspapers and magazines, and scientific publications. Advertising or marketing representatives will not be registered, and freelance writers must provide a letter of assignment from an acceptable publisher. All attendees at SMSNA annual meetings must formally register. A Registration Form will be provided on request.

In order to prevent disruptions and to ensure science-based discourse among speakers and attendees, the following policy applies:

• There will be no camera allowed in, nor radio broadcasts made directly from, scientific sessions. Filming may only be allowed in the Press Room with consenting speakers, after having received permission from the SMSNA Executive Director.
• No Audio taping for re-broadcast of scientific presentations or question-and-answer sessions is allowed without express, advance approval by the SMSNA Executive Director.
• An SMSNA member or any of their Executive Office/Staff members may be assigned to news crews in order to familiarize them with the meeting layout, answer questions about the Society, and generally facilitate their work.
• All requests for filming, photographs, interviews, etc. outside this policy must be submitted to the SMSNA Executive Director for a decision.
• This policy is intended to engender a rational and professional forum in which science-based issues can be discussed. Any media representative who sells, markets, or represents a company for purposes of obtaining advertising or subscriptions from any exhibitor or registrant will immediately forfeit press credentials for this and subsequent meetings.

General Policy on Filming, Photography, Audio Recording, and Cellphones

• No participant/attendee/visitor at the meeting may record, film, tape, photograph, interview, or use any other such media during any presentation, display, or exhibit without the express, advance approval of the SMSNA Executive Director. This policy applies to all SMSNA members, non-members, guests, and exhibitors, as well as, members of the print, online, or broadcast media.
• If approved by the SMSNA Executive Director, then photography, video, filming, and tape recording by credentialed media are only permitted during press conferences or in the Press Interview Room.
• At any time, photography, video, filming, tape recording, and all other forms of recording are prohibited during all slide sessions, special lectures, symposia, mini-symposia, sponsored symposia, courses, and workshops, and on the poster and exhibit floors. If you have any questions, please contact Tessa Benitez at the SMSNA Executive Office.

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: (952) 683 1917