Questionnaires were mailed to physicians practicing pediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, and family medicine. The survey covered physician demographics; practice characteristics; patient pool characteristics; AIDS educational practice; barriers towards providing AIDS education, attitudes toward AIDS education and related behavior; and opinions on public policy questions regarding AIDS education and prevention measures. Sixty-six percent (391) of the physicians receiving the survey responded. The majority felt health professionals should assume a major role in disseminating information about AIDS to the public, but parents, teachers, and religious organizations need to be involved in AIDS education also. In addition, the respondents felt AIDS education should begin at the elementary school level, and they supported provision of condoms to students and sterile needles to intravenous drug users. 24 notes