Introduction

Abstract

The disease known as acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS, has been recognised for 10 years. During this time it has been more intensively researched and studied than any other disease in the history of humankind. It seems likely that while medical and scientific research will continue to make progress during the 1990s, it is social, behavioural and economic research into the disease which will become increasingly important. Scientists have now unlocked many of the secrets of the virus and know how it is spread, where it comes from, and what it does; the challenge for them is to develop a cure and a vaccine. For social scientists, the task is to develop ways to cope with the continually spreading impact of the disease.