SYNC 2026 features an extensive array of prevention-related content, including a robust plenary session, three in-depth institutes, numerous innovative track sessions, and a variety of poster presentations that comprise the Power of Prevention (POP) Program — making it a “prevention conference within the conference.”
If prevention is your area of interest, SYNC 2026 is the place to be. The POP program offers unparalleled opportunities to learn about the latest work and its intersections and implications across the syndemic landscape.
Sessions
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Expanding the National HIV Prevention Workforce through Certification
Potomac B
Expanding the HIV prevention workforce is more important than ever: biomedical prevention is advancing rapidly and the HIV workforce is shrinking.This institute offers a comprehensive foundation for providers to: 1) identify individuals who may benefit from HIV prevention services; 2) implement high-impact PrEP interventions; and, 3) apply a framework of cultural humility to improve engagement and retention in care.
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Elevating the PrEP Navigation Workforce through Certification
Potomac AWhile disparities in PrEP uptake and need persist and PrEP demand remains high, experienced PrEP navigation staff are key to realizing the benefits of PrEP.This institute equips participants with the practical knowledge, communication strategies, and clinical context needed to guide individuals through their PrEP journey.
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Responding to Rapid PrEP Need: Integrating Teams, Streamlining Workflows, and Equipping Clinicians
Studio CAs demand for rapid-start PrEP continues to grow, healthcare teams need practical, scalable models that support timely access while fitting real clinical workflows. This live, in-person institute will focus on the real-world implementation of rapid-start PrEP across clinical and pharmacy settings, with an emphasis on team-based care and operational readiness. Through an interprofessional lens, faculty will explore how clinicians, pharmacists, and care teams can work together to integrate rapid-start PrEP using streamlined workflows, standing orders, lab reflex panels, and clinician-facing tools that support consistent, efficient delivery of care. -
PrEPared RN: Bridging Health Equity Gaps Through Nurse-Delivered PrEP
Studio DThis session showcases how nurses are transforming HIV prevention in one of the nation’s highest-incidence regions. This innovative, nurse-led model expands access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through standing orders, telehealth, and mobile outreach, allowing same-day initiation of care. -
Taking the Test Home: NKY Health’s Inclusive Approach to HIV Self Test Access
Studio DThis presentation offers an in-depth exploration of NKY Health’s expansive HIV self-test distribution program, highlighting its multifaceted approach to making test kits readily available throughout the Northern Kentucky community. Our primary goal has been to maximize reach, ensuring these vital resources get into the hands of as many people as possible. -
MSM Perspectives on Hypothetical Novel HIV Testing and Linkage Technology in South Carolina
Studio DMen who have sex with men (MSM) in the U.S. South face a disproportionate burden of HIV yet remain underserved in traditional prevention and care pathways. Stigma, structural inequities, and limited access to culturally competent services contribute to poor engagement across the HIV care continuum. These barriers are exacerbated by resource-constrained settings such as the rural South. -
Sniffies: Not Just for Hook-ups — How Your Prevention Department Can Expand Outreach in Real Time
Studio DThis session will introduce some of the dating apps people are using – specifically Sniffies – and outlining how agencies can use the software to establish patterns for sexual activity in the immediate area and develop strategies to outreach options in real time, ultimately leading to an increase in PrEP and STI prevention uptake across all demographics. -
From Cell to Clinic: Connecting Returning Citizens to HIV Prevention and Care
Studio BImagine a world where every individual, regardless of their past, has access to essential healthcare services and the support they need to thrive. For returning citizens living with HIV, this is not just a dream—it’s a necessity. The Intervention Services Program (ISP), part of the DC Health’s HIV AIDS Hepatitis STD Tuberculosis Administration (HAHSTA), is on a mission to transform this vision into reality. -
Reaching Her: Evaluating PrEP Uptake and Engagement Strategies for Cisgender Women in Florida Specialty Clinics
Studio BIn this presentation, we share results of our outreach efforts to engage cisgender women for HIV prevention services, including PrEP. -
Understanding the Facilitators of and Barriers to Community Engagement Among Faith-Based Organizations in New York City
Studio BBlack Health’s Outreach Enhancement: Faith Based Organization Program (OEF) collaborates with faith-based organizations across the five boroughs of New York City to provide high impact HIV prevention services in geographical hot spots in communities of color where HIV infections are most heavily concentrated (as defined by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH). -
A Group Level Approach to Reduce HIV and STIs in Women of Color Residing in Low-Income and Transitional Housing in the Urban South
Studio EBlack women at are increased risk HIV of infection compared to women in general. In 2022 in Alabama, over half of HIV people living with HIV were Black, almost a quarter were women, and 1 in 5 were unaware of their status. This data supports a need for HIV prevention interventions among youth and adults in the state. -
Building Trust Through Culture: Vivent Health and the Ballroom Scene’s Role in Advancing PrEP Uptake
Studio EThis session explores how cultural competency and community-based participatory practice (CBPP) models are being implemented to center community voices and ensure public health interventions are both relevant and affirming. Strategies include peer-led engagement, wellness-themed mini-balls, and house-based dialogues that allow for honest conversations around HIV, stigma, and care. Participants will be introduced to the CBPP model and the Cultural Competence Continuum as guiding frameworks for equity-driven outreach.
Accreditation, Credit, and Support
Information on credits offered to SYNC participants for attending institutes, sessions, and plenaries — live or in-person — is available here.
Commercial Support Acknowledgement
This conference is supported, in part, by independent educational grants from ineligible companies. A full list of supporters is available here. All accredited content has been developed and delivered in accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence and the criteria of Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education™, and is free of commercial bias.
