HIV/AIDS

Submit Abstract

A printer-friendly version of this Call for Abstracts is available on the Section's website at http://www.aphahiv.org

The HIV/AIDS Section of the American Public Health Association invites Abstracts and Full Session Proposals presenting the results of scientific research, program evaluations, policy analysis, and lessons learned from community-based interventions related to HIV/AIDS for the 137th American Public Health Association Meeting and Exposition to be held November 7-11, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The theme of the 2009 meeting is “Water and Public Health: The 21st Century Challenge,” and Abstracts and Full Session Proposals that reflect this theme are particularly encouraged.

Abstracts may be submitted for oral, poster, or roundtable sessions. Submission of an abstract to the HIV/AIDS section is an expression of the presenting author’s intentions of attending the Annual Meeting and presenting the work should it be accepted. The following general topics are areas of interest for the 2009 program, although other HIV/AIDS-related topics also will be considered.

  • HIV/AIDS Policy
  • HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment
  • HIV/AIDS Research
  • HIV/AIDS and LGBT Communities
  • HIV/AIDS and Water
  • International HIV/AIDS Research and Practice
  • Population Specific HIV/AIDS Issues
  • Racial and Ethnic Disparities and HIV/AIDS
  • Student Work
  • Other HIV/AIDS Topic Areas

    Submission and Review: All Abstracts must be submitted electronically using the APHA Meeting website by the date published on the APHA website for the HIV/AIDS section. Late, faxed, and email submissions cannot be accepted. APHA will send email notices of acceptance to abstract authors in early June 2009.

    All Abstracts are subject to masked peer review by at least three reviewers. Please remove any references to a specific institution in the body of the abstract to permit masked review and ensure fairness. By submitting an abstract proposal, the author(s) agree that, if accepted, the paper will be presented as scheduled.

    Structured Abstract Format: Abstracts should be submitted in a structured format. Please use one of the following two formats:


    • Background: Study objectives, hypothesis, or a description of the problem;

    • Methods: Study design, including a description of participants, procedures, measures, and appropriate statistical analyses;

    • Results: Specific results in summary form; and

    • Conclusions: Description of the main outcome of the study.

    An alternative format, suited for abstracts about policy, programs, interventions, and other types of research evaluations, may be used:


    • Issues: A short summary of the issue(s) addressed;

    • Description: Description of the project, experience, service, or advocacy program;

    • Lessons Learned: A brief description of the results of the project; and

    • Recommendations: A brief statement of next steps.


    Continuing Education Credit
    APHA values the ability to provide continuing education credit to physicians, nurses and health educators at its annual meeting. Please complete all required information when submitting an abstract so members can claim credit for attending your session. These credits are necessary for members to keep their licenses and credentials.

    For a session to be eligible for Continuing Education Credit, each presenter must provide:

    1) an abstract free of trade and/or commercial product names

    2) at least one MEASURABLE objective (to understand or to learn are not measurable objectives).

    Examples of Acceptable Measurable Action Words:
    Explain, Demonstrate, Analyze, Formulate, Discuss, Compare, Differentiate, Describe, Name, Assess, Evaluate, Identify, Design, Define or List.

    3) A signed Conflict of Interest form with a relevant qualification statement

    Thank you for your assistance in making your session credit worthy.
    Contact Annette Ferebee at www.annette.ferebee@apha.org if you have any questions.

    Review Criteria: Standardized criteria will be used to evaluate all abstract submissions. These criteria include: (1) adherence to specified format as indicated under structured abstract format, (2) innovation and relevance, (3) rigor and appropriateness of methods and approaches, (4) contribution to science and/or practice, and (5) results/lessons learned. Note that incomplete abstracts will not be judged.

    Final Program: The final program will be based on peer-reviewer evaluations of the abstract proposals with consideration for available time and space, the program theme, diversity of topics, and any speakers invited by the HIV/AIDS Section leadership to participate in the 2009 program.

    Only listed authors who are both APHA members and registered for the Annual Meeting may present accepted work. Neither APHA nor the HIV/AIDS Section provides any financial support for author attendance at the Annual Meeting.

    Student Presentations: Presentations by students are encouraged. Although completed research studies are preferred, students may submit work-in-progress for consideration.

    Instructions for Full Session Proposals: Submissions of Proposals For Full Sessions (90 minutes in length) may be submitted. In addition to the electronic online submission of an individual abstract for EACH of the 3-5 papers to be included in a Session, a one-page overview of the proposed Session MUST be submitted directly to the planner via electronic mail to: basta@ohio.edu. This one-page overview should include:


    • Overall session title;

    • Name of the lead facilitator and the contact person for the Session;

    • Brief overview of the rationale for the Session; and

    • List (in presentation order) of the individual abstracts to be organized into this Session, complete with titles, presenters' name, and time allocated for each presentation and any discussion periods.

    Please note that each individual abstract to be included in a Session must be submitted through the APHA electronic abstract submission process. In the "Comments to Organizers" box for each abstract submission, the authors should indicate that the abstract is to be considered as part of the Proposed Session (indicated by Session title).

    All abstracts are reviewed on their individual merit, and the
    acceptance of a panel submission is not a guarantee that all abstracts
    submitted for that session will be accepted or that they will all be
    scheduled together. Unless instructed otherwise, the HIV/AIDS Section
    Program Committee will consider the individual abstracts from any
    rejected Full Session for possible presentation in Abstract sessions.
    Therefore, an abstract submitted as part of a Full Session should not
    also be submitted as an individual contributed abstract to any other
    section, interest group or caucus.



Submit Abstract

Program Planner Contact Information:
Tania B. Basta, PhD, MPH
School of Public Health Services & Professions
Ohio University
E331 Grover Center
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740-593-4681
basta@ohio.edu

and
Enbal Shacham, PhD
Department of Psychiatry
Washington University
40 N. Kingshighway, Suite 4
St. Louis, MO 63108
Phone: 314-286-2271
shachame@epi.wustl.edu

and
Brian Dodge, PhD
Center for Sexual Health Promotion
Indiana University
1025 E. 7th St.
HPER 116
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812-856-0792
Fax: 812-855-3936
bmdodge@indiana.edu