Section I provides an AIDS and substance abuse overview and lists training objectives. It discusses issues for health care providers, and suggests guidelines for AIDS prevention and safe sex. Section II expands on the relationship between AIDS and substance use and the connection between disinhibition and increased risk-taking behavior. A working definition of substance abuse, classifications of commonly abused substances and a glossary of drug terminology and euphemisms are given. Section III contains a self-assessment tool designed to enable persons to define their views of substance abuse and to express their attitudes toward substance abusers with AIDS. Also included is a discussion of barriers to effective substance abuse intervention that have occurred for patients with AIDS. Section IV illustrates four important interventions with substance abusing patients: substance abuse symptoms, coping with the manipulative patients, interventions for patients who deny their substance abuse, and patient education and discharge planning. The remaining two sections focus on nursing care plans and supplemental reading and resources.