It describes HIV and stages of the HIV disease process with respective clinical manifestations through the eventually destruction of the immune system. It then summarizes the current status of the AIDS epidemic in the United States providing epidemiologic data on number of reported cases of HIV-infected men developing AIDS; cases of AIDS by age, gender, and intravenous drug use; and forecasts for the future. Groups at greater risk for AIDS are described by transmission category: homosexual and bisexual men, intravenous drug users (IVDU's), homosexual IVDU's, hemophiliacs, heterosexual cases, transfusion recipients, perinatal, and undetermined. Other transmission issues relevant to the judicial audience include the risk of occupational HIV transmission, possibly in conjunction with tuberculosis. It concludes with a discussion of azidothymidine treatment of AIDS and preventive measures to control its spread. 8 figures.