The Swedish Writer Steve Sjöquist is interviewed about his life with HIV, the HIV situation in Sweden and the rest of the world and his views on the future of the epidemic.

Sten Vermund from University of Alabama reflects on the history of the global AIDS epidemic and his involvement in the field as a young scientist in the 80's. He discusses the social and economic factors of HIV/AIDS, such as stigma, poverty and the drug industry.

Students are interviewed on the street in Washington DC, about HIV/AIDS and prevention.

Diane Johns is a nurse at San Francisco General Hospital. She shares her thoughts on terminal care, patient participation, home based care, homelessness, sex education and morality, stigma and other questions related to HIV and AIDS.

Dale Rogers is a lab assistant at San Francisco General Hospital. Here he talks about the relationship between health personnel and AIDS patients and how working with young AIDS patients affects his life. He also talks about stigma among health personnel.

MD Eric Sandström talks about the Swedish health care situation for people living with HIV and his personal experiences of working with HIV patients. He also talks about the advantages of early ARV treatment, and the organized HIV testing strategies in Sweden.

This production was made as the opening film for the IV International AIDS Conference in Stockholm in June 1988. It gives a broad representation of the global AIDS situation in the late 1980's, and has a particular focus on social structures, poverty and stigma.

A Philippine teacher talks about how Western, liberal values on sex is a threat to the youth. He also talks about tourism as an aspect of HIV transmission, and fears that the Philippine government suppresses information about AIDS to protect the tourist industry.

Continuation of the interview with Elaine and her husband Hubby. They talk about their HIV diagnoses and relationship as a married couple, about safe sex as prevention of AIDS disease progression, and workplace discrimination.

"AIDS – Metaphor and Reality" is the very first Face of AIDS documentary from 1986, experts as well as people living with HIV and AIDS speak about stigma. The main message of this film is that AIDS is a worldwide issue which concerns everyone regardless of their sexual preferences.