Given the current lack of a suitable vaccine or effective treatment for HIV/AIDS, widespread behaviour change must be achieved if the spread of AIDS is to be minimised. In an effort to assist in the development of appropriate education programmes, considerable research attention has been directed towards the identification of factors that influence whether people engage in AIDS-preventive behaviour. Much of this research has utilized Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action and its extensions to identify the determinants of safer sex behaviour. Despite the amount of attention directed towards the examination of factors that influence whether people choose to engage in high-risk practices, there have been few attempts to review and integrate this research. "The Theory of Reasoned Action" combines theoretical exposition, critique and empirical research and their relation to major models in health psychology with specific applications to AIDS education.