We are pleased to introduce a new series, Aids Prevention and Mental Health, with the publication of this volume on methodology issues in AIDS mental health research. The objective of the series is to publish high-quality and up-to-date volumes that HIV prevention and mental health researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and educators will find useful and that will thus contribute significantly to their work in these important areas.

Public health has a legacy of neglect regarding social and behavioral research. Too often, prompted by technical and scientific progress, we have ignored even marginalized-the vital "human element" in health thinking and prac tice. Thus, for example, while family planning programs focused on providing a choice among safe and effective contraceptive methods (a supremely worthy goal), the central issue of sexuality and sexual behavior was generally neglected. Similarly, the enormous and important efforts to develop rapid and reliable diagnostic and treatment methods for sexually transmitted...