ABSTRACT

Speakers of English use language in special ways when they talk about the AIDS pandemic and its effects on their lives. They draw on code words and phrases when identifying HIV illnesses, describing symptoms, and assessing treatment strategies. They adjust word order, disguise subject reference, and make other changes in sentence and paragraph form when discussing high-risk behaviour or commenting on the social conditions which encourage risk-taking. Sometimes, when AIDS is the topic under discussion, people explore their thoughts and feelings in great verbal detail; other times, they make their thoughts and feelings known by saying nothing at all.