BEGINNING LATE THIS MONTH, postal carriers will have nestled in their pouches another government document on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). They will be delivering an eight-page brochure to each of 108 million households in the United States, making this the largest ever public health education effort and "the largest government mailing ever," according to Robert E. Windom, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health in the Department of Health and Human Services.
The pamphlet is written in a question-and-answer format, targeted for a seventh-grade reading level. Questions will include "Should You Get an AIDS Test?" "What Does a Person With AIDS Look Like?" and "Is There a Cure?" There also is information about how to care for a person with AIDS and a quiz to determine the reader's understanding of the material.
Readers are referred to their physician in several places in the document. Those persons wishing more information are advised to