The General Accounting Office (GAO) conducted a study in response to Senator Lawton Chiles' request that the GAO explore the adequacy of the funding levels proposed for the Department of Health and Human Services' Public Health Service and the appropriateness of priorities reflected in the administration's proposed budget for prevention of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Experts interviewed by the GAO generally concurred with the priorities reflected in the administration's AIDS prevention budget for fiscal year 1988, targeting three areas for immediate action: (1) containing the spread of AIDS virus among intravenous drug users and their sexual partners; (2) educating targeted high-risk groups and the general population about AIDS and AIDS prevention; and (3) expanding voluntary testing with pretest and posttest counseling services. While agreeing with administration priorities, experts considered budget proposals to be inadequate. Respondents also suggested a full-scale federally coordinated campaign against AIDS, the simultaneous launching of several approaches to prevention education with evaluation of program effectiveness required, and education of low-risk groups to assure these groups remain uninfected by the AIDS virus. (Lists of state and local officials, advocacy groups, and experts providing a nationwide perspective who took part in the study are appended.) (NB)