The third epidemic.

2 examples are presented to illustrate the wide-ranging repercussions of the fear of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In addition to the medical problems the virus causes, social upheaval can affect those who are seropositive or ill and their families, friends, and communities. Some argue that the best way to prevent human immunodeficiency virus from spread is to identify those carrying the virus and to ensure they do not pass it to others. Others maintain that the virus can be contained only by protecting those already infected or at greatest risk. An epidemic of fear, denial, and rejection of those with AIDS or those at risk for the illness has accompanied the spread of HIV throughout the world. At times, the intervention of a doctor, social worker, or a friend can resolve a difficult situation. Compulsory measures, which are not as foolproof as they might seem, frequently are inconsistent. Measures that depend on HIV-antibody test results cannot rule out mistakes due to the test. Sometimes measures are based on the perception, which may be invalid, that certain individuals are potentially likely to transmit HIV to others. Growing evidence exists that singling out individuals and groups of people as "risk groups" or as potentially seropositive, makes AIDS prevention campaigns less effective and fails to contain the epidemic. An alternative to mandatory testing and a key provision for AIDS prevention is the widespread availability of voluntary and anonymous testing and counseling centers.