Aims and scope
AIDS and Behavior provides an international outlet for empirical research on the social and behavioral aspects of HIV infection and all other infectious diseases. The journal publishes original research, including quantitative and qualitative studies, policy analyses, integrated reviews, research syntheses and meta-analyses. Non-empirical theoretical, conceptual and opinion papers are not generally considered for publication. All papers submitted to the journal are first examined by the Editors to determine whether they will be sent out for external peer-review. Papers that fall within the scope of the journal and meet quality and priority checks are sent out for peer-review.

Published monthly, the journal considers a broad array of research including, but not limited to: individual, contextual, social, economic and geographic factors that facilitate transmission of infectious diseases; interventions aimed to reduce transmission risks at all levels and in all contexts; mental health aspects of infection; medical and behavioral consequences of infection – including health-related quality of life, coping, treatment and adherence to treatment; and the impact of infection on adults, children, families, communities and societies.

The HIV pandemic has undergone radical changes since AIDS and Behavior was originally founded in 1997. Social and behavioral research on HIV has kept pace with HIV testing technologies, social-structural changes, prevention interventions, and treatment. Further, it became apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic that advances in HIV research have direct implications for other infectious diseases, and vice versa. The journal has therefore evolved with the field to broaden its scope to consider social and behavioral research concerning all infectious diseases. AIDS and Behavior therefore publishes:

Basic research, epidemiological studies, clinical investigations, health services and policy-related research on the social and behavioral aspects of infectious diseases – Behavioral infectiology.
Clinical trials of social, structural, biomedical, behavioral and other interventions aimed to mitigate the harms of infectious diseases.
Systematic, meta-analytic and scoping reviews.
Research that improves understanding of mechanisms of behavioral interventions and their implementation for advancing HIV and other infectious disease prevention and treatment.