Contest Background

Artists should consider the following information when planning and executing their design.

Across the United States and in Montgomery County, Black women are disproportionately vulnerable to HIV. In 2022, Black women represented 81% of women living with HIV in Montgomery County, and 91% of those newly diagnosed. In response to these alarming disparities, Montgomery County Sexual Health & Wellness Services created the Black Women’s Sexual Health & Wellness (BWSH) Working Group in April of 2024. Among other findings, which will be compiled into a report in 2025, the group concluded that:

• Black women frequently do not receive recommended sexual health screenings and prevention conversations when they visit their healthcare providers.

• Black women are left out of sexual health marketing campaigns, including campaigns about PrEP, the HIV prevention medication.

• Black women may often be in the position of caring for others and putting others’ needs before their own.

• Black women living with HIV experience stigma, which may affect their access to HIV treatment.

• Institutionalized racism and misogyny create barriers to accessing testing, treatment, and prevention.

Contest Theme & Messages

The theme of this poster contest is Breaking the Silence Together: Celebrating Black Women’s Strength in HIV Awareness, Sexual Health, & Wellness. The theme should inspire your design, but you do not need to use this theme language in your poster.

Through this poster contest, we are hoping to encourage Black women in Montgomery County to:

• Get tested: Get tested regularly for HIV and other STIs.

• Get treatment: Starting or getting back into treatment will help you live a long, healthy life.

• Prevention: Talk to your doctor about PrEP, the HIV prevention medication.

• Self-care: HIV/STI testing, treatment and prevention is self-care. It's okay to put yourself first.

• Resilience: Overcoming Institutionalized racism and misogyny that create barriers to optimal health (e.g., accessing testing, treatment, and prevention)

Design Guidelines

Please read the following guidelines carefully when considering your submission.

Required design elements:

Please read the following guidelines carefully before you submit your design:

• All poster designs must be sized to 24” x 36.” The committee will not accept artwork of any other size.

• Designs must not contain any trademarked or licensed images prohibited for public use.

• Designs must not contain nudity of any kind.

• Designs must not contain profanity in any language.

• If text is used on the poster, it must contrast with the poster’s background for readability.

• Physical posters must be completely flat; they may not contain any hanging or protruding elements or materials.

• Physical poster submissions may be made of any flat material that can freely stand on an easel for display.

Submission Instructions

All applicants must complete the submission form online here. Posters themselves may be submitted electronically, dropped off in person or mailed. See below for specific submission instructions based on submission type.

Electronic/Digital file submissions

• Digital files must be uploaded through the online submission form.

• PNG, PDF, or vector files are acceptable file types.

• All digital posters must be sized to 24” x 36” No poster files of other sizes will be accepted.

• The World AIDS Day committee will print all qualified digital artwork submitted on a 24” x 36” foam board for voting at the World AIDS Day event on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024.

Physical Posters (non-digital)

• All artists submitting physical posters must first complete the online application.

• All physical posters must be 24” x 36” No posters of other sizes will be accepted.

• All physical posters must be postmarked and/or dropped off before the November 15th 5pm contest deadline.

• All physical posters must contain a cover that is labeled with the artist’s name, contact phone and/or email that corresponds with the artist’s name in the submitted online application.

• The address for drop-off or mailing your physical poster is:

Montgomery County Sexual Health & Wellness Services C/O Emily Brown

2000 Dennis Avenue Suite 23, Silver Spring, MD 20902

• For drop-offs: Add the following text to your label: “Poster Contest- Deliver to: Emily Brown, Suite 23, Montgomery County Sexual Health & Wellness Services.”

  • Drop your poster off at the front security desk.

Artist Eligibility

To be eligible for consideration, artists must consider these rules:

• Residency: Submitting artists must be Montgomery County residents at the time of submission (college students with permanent addresses in Montgomery County are eligible).

  • Black women artists based in Montgomery County are encouraged to submit designs.

• Age: Submitting artists must be over 18 years of age

• Public Recognition: Submitting artists must be willing to be publicly recognized for your work. Anonymous submissions will not be scored. If you are the winner or finalist your design and your name will be shown at public events during and after World AIDS Day, and on relevant social media platforms.

  • Montgomery County employees and contract staff are ineligible to participate in this contest

Considerations for Submission

By submitting your design for the World AIDS Day 2024 Poster Contest, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

• The design you submit must be original work created by you.

• The design you submit must not be offered for sale anywhere by anyone, and does not contain any trademarks, logos, or other copyrighted material.

• The design you submit must not contain content subject to the right of publicity or privacy, or any other intellectual property belonging to any third party.

• The design does not infringe upon any rights of any third party.

• Montgomery County Sexual Health & Wellness Services reserves the right to modify designs, overlay any public health text, logo(s) or other relevant information on the winning poster design before printing and distribution.

• By submitting your design to be used in the World AIDS Day poster contest, you grant us the right to upload, modify, reproduce, copy, exhibit, and create derivative works of, distribute, and display the design in any manner to promote World AIDS Day and other sexual health and wellness messages throughout the year.

• When the design is submitted, you acknowledge that the committee reserves the right to decline to select the design for any reason at its sole discretion and that its decisions are final and binding.