This book focuses on AIDS education and answers 350 commonly asked questions about Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) taken from questions addressed to two major urban AIDS hotlines (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Houston, Texas). Chapter 1, "HIV - The Virus That Causes AIDS," discusses: the HIV virus; the origins of AIDS; HIV inside and outside the body; and the AIDS epidemic. Chapter 2, "HIV Infection and How It Causes AIDS," describes: the stages of HIV and AIDS; symptoms of HIV infection; AIDS; and children with HIV and AIDS. Chapter 3, "Sex, Drugs, and AIDS," discusses: various types of sexual intercourse; sharing needles; pregnancy and childbirth; and risk taking behavior. Chapter 4, "People at Risk," deals with: gay and bisexual men; lesbians and bisexual women; heterosexual men and women; risky partners and places; and infants, children, adolescents, and the elderly. Chapter 5, "Can I Get AIDS From...?" discusses: blood transfusions and organ transplants; health care workers; occupational risks; human bites; school settings; sharp objects; bloody contacts; sharing facilities; sharing quarters; touching; near-sex experiences; eating, drinking, and smoking; and insects and animals. Chapter six, "HIV Testing," answers questions about circumstances that have caused concern but have little or no risk for HIV infection. Chapter 7, "Caring for People with AIDS," examines: treatments for HIV and AIDS; finding help; getting support; help for helpers; and staying healthy. Chapter 8, "Ethics and the Law," discusses: legal issues; insurance; rights of people with HIV/AIDS; and difficult decisions and ethical dilemmas. Chapter 9, "Preventing AIDS," answers questions on: safe sex; condoms; and cleaning needles. The four appendixes offer: a glossary; symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases; descriptions of AIDS-defining opportunistic illnesses; and a list of national, state, and local resources. (SM)