HIV/AIDS

Submit Abstract



A printer-friendly version of this Call for Abstracts is available on the Section's website (www.aphahiv.org).



The HIV/AIDS Section invites Abstracts and Full Session Proposals presenting the results of scientific research, program evaluations, policy analyses, and lessons learned from community-based interventions related to HIV/AIDS for the 134th American Public Health Association Meeting and Exposition to be held on November 4-8, 2006 in Boston, MA.

The theme of the 2006 meeting is “Public Health and Human Rights,” and Abstracts and Full Session Proposals that reflect this theme are particularly encouraged.

Abstracts may be submitted for oral, poster, or roundtable sessions. The following general topics are areas of interest for the 2006 program, although other HIV/AIDS-related topics also will be considered.
  • Behavioral, Psychosocial, and Cultural Aspects of HIV/AIDS (e.g., health education, health communication, sexual behavior, social environment)
  • Community Planning, Programming, and Interventions
  • Economic, Policy, and Financing Analyses
  • Epidemiology and Surveillance
  • Health Care Delivery, Services, and Providers
  • Human Rights and HIV
  • Innovative Research Methods and Interventions
  • International HIV Prevention and Care (e.g., policies, interventions, evaluations, and research)
  • Mental Health and Substance Use (e.g., depression, severe mental illness, drug abuse aspects)
  • Population-Specific Issues among Individuals Living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS (e.g., adolescents, aging, homeless, LGBT, incarcerated, multiple diagnoses, racial/ethnic minorities, veterans, women)
  • Prevention Research and Practice
  • Research on Positive Living (e.g., medication access & adherence, complementary therapies, nutrition, exercise, workplace issues, sexuality)
  • 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 2006.

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.



  • Review Criteria: Standardized criteria will be used to evaluate all abstract submissions. These criteria include innovation and relevance, approach/methodology, contribution to science and/or practice, and results/lessons learned.


    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 2006 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: mireece@indiana.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 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.


    Questions: For questions about submissions or the Annual Meeting, please contact the 2006 HIV/AIDS Section Program Chair, Michael Reece, at mireece@indiana.edu or 812/855.0068.




    Submit Abstract

    Program Planner Contact Information:
    Michael Reece, PhD, MPH
    Department of Applied Health Science
    Indiana University
    HPER Building 116
    1025 E. Seventh Street
    Bloomington, IN 47405-7109
    Phone: 812-855-0068
    mireece@indiana.edu

    and
    Heather Cecil, PhD
    Department of Psychology
    Penn State University, Capital College
    777 W. Harrisburg Pike
    W157 Olmsted
    Middletown, PA 17050
    Phone: 717-948-6533
    hkc3@psu.edu

    and
    Scott D. Rhodes, PhD,MPH,CHES
    Department of Public Health Sciences
    Wake Forest University Health Sciences
    Section on Social Sciences and Health Policy
    Medical Center Boulevard
    Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1063
    Phone: 336/713.5080
    Fax: 336/713.5088
    srhodes@wfubmc.edu