Based on scientific research, the public must be explicitly told how AIDS is and is not transmitted. Reservations and gaps in knowledge should also be acknowledged. The facts to date indicate the need for a public health policy based on explicit sexual education for all Americans (with culturally appropriate programs for members of high-risk groups), increased support for drug treatment programs, and the availability of sterile needles and syringes to reduce the risk of infection among addicts. The countering of moral judgments that undermine explicit public sexual education, view AIDS as a punishment for morally deviant groups, and foster discrimination against homosexuals must be a component of public policy designed to control AIDS. Such moral judgments impede a rational and compassionate response to the disease and its victims. 53 references.