Seventeen percent of all reported cases of AIDS are either heterosexual men or women who admit to using IV drugs. On the basis of seroprevalence data, drug abusers are at risk for blood-borne viral illnesses other than hepatitis B, non-A and non-B hepatitis, and HIV when they share their drug paraphernalia. Psychoactive drugs may also play a role in the development of HIV disease. IV drug abusers can spread HIV through their practice of sharing drug paraphernalia. Drug abuse treatment programs are beginning to offer voluntary HIV-antibody testing accompanied by counseling. Although there is debate about the usefulness of test results, persons with knowledge of their HIV-antibody status may limit the number of partners with whom they share drug paraphernalia and provide barrier protection in sexual activity. A series of educational interventions in New York and New Jersey have demonstrated that IV drug abusers are educable about the association between AIDS and IV drug use that involves sharing needles and syringes. One indication of the success of this education effort is the increase in the street price of 'sterile' needles and syringes. 42 references.