The primary focus of this documentary is on the history of how the AIDS epidemic started in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York in 1981. Many different stories are told about people affected or surrounded by HIV and AIDS in the early years of the epidemic.

Alec works as a manager in a harm reduction program and does street outreach work among young drug users in the streets of Moscow.

Dr Ingrid van Beek from the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC), a program offering HIV testing, counseling, needle-exchange and methadone programs. She talks about the challenges and successes of the Australian AIDS response.

This production from 1990 debates the worldwide HIV/AIDS situation for women and children. The stigmatization of female sexuality is considered the primary reason of women's particularly exposed situation when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases.

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.

Julie and Ken from the Australian Prostitutes Collective talk about their program for HIV/AIDS prevention among female and male sex workers, among which one third are also IV drug users. APC offers social support, needle exchange and sex education.

An unknown Swedish doctor talks about Socialmedicinska Häktesprojektet, a new program to localize HIV in IV-drug users.

Nobel Prize Laureate Luc Montagnier answers questions on the origin of HIV, the spreading of the virus, prevention, and the possibility of a vaccine.

"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.