To identify and describe innovative ways for preventing the spread of HIV among drug abusers, their sexual partners, and their children, the National Institute on Drug Abuse convened a technical review meeting in February of 1988. The aim of the meeting was to propose recommendations for future directions for community-based prevention research. The chapters in this volume examine communities from two perspectives: (1) having one or more demographic characteristic, and (2) formal institutional membership. Each contributing author was asked to describe current knowledge about HIV infection in a selected community; community factors or characteristics that support or hinder performance of protective and preventive behaviors; any available documented community experiences specific to the target group with other related preventive behaviors; anecdotal experiences specific to the target groups with behaviors associated wit HIV transmission; and suggestions for associated research initiatives. Based on the papers presented, participants at the technical review meeting considered future directions in community AIDS prevention. The recommendations are presented as the final chapter of this book.