本书基于新闻报道写成，内容绝非虚构。为了叙事的连贯性，我重建了场景，转述了对话，偶尔会以“他认为”或“她觉得”这样的短语来表达他人的观点。此类引用材料或来自我为写作此书所做的采访，或来自我为《旧金山纪事报》做艾滋病报道若干年所进行的调研。
在艾滋病传开以前，本书提到的许多重要人物已是我多年的信息来源。举例而言，1976年时，我是一家同性恋新闻杂志的记者，为撰写健康文章，我采访过塞尔玛·德里兹医生、丹·威廉医生和大卫·奥斯特罗医生。同样，在过去十年间，作为一名电视记者，同时也是一本关于旧金山政治的书的作者，我对本书中出现的一些旧金山政治人物及同性恋社区领袖进行过数十次采访。但是，为便利起见，下述笔记仅列出了与本书主题相关的、就艾滋病疫情各个层面进行的访谈，并不完全包括我在过去5年间就艾滋病问题进行的所有采访记录——我总共采访过900多人。
姓名后面附有访谈日期，访谈形式包括电话采访和面谈。如果数月内我对某位采访对象进行过一次以上的访谈，我会在日期后的括号内标示访谈次数。
本书中，时间表不可或缺；科学家的一些做法令我获益匪浅，他们会习惯性地写下标明具体日期的日志，保存他们的观察及与其他研究者的交流信息。本书描述的艾滋病患者的具体细节也得益于其病历资料和死亡证明。其他一些重要文件和资料来源亦在此处酌情记录。
华盛顿政治人物国会：Rep. Henry Waxman 7/85, 2/86; Rep. Barbara Boxer 12/83; Rep. Sala Burton 11/84; Michael Housh, aide to Rep. Boxer 2/85, 1/86, 3/86; Susan Steinmetz, staff, Intergovernmental and Human Resources Subcommittee, 2/85, 10/86; Bill Kraus, aide to Reps. Phil & Sala Burton 10/82, 3/83 (3), 4/83, 5/83, 6/83, 10/83, 11/83, 12/83 (2), 1/84, 2/84 (4), 3/84, 4/84, 10/84, 11/84, 6/85, 7/85, 9/85, 10/85 (6), 11/85; Tim Westmoreland, counsel, House Subcommittee on Health and the Environment 2/85, 11/85, 2/86, 6/87; Larry Mike, Office of Technology Assessment 2/86; David Sundwald, counsel, Senate Committee for Labor and Human Resources 2/86; Dan Maldonado, counsel, House Appropriations Subcommittee for Health 2/86; Rep. Ted Weiss 12/83。
里根政府：Dr. Edward Brandt, Assistant Secretary for Health 12/83, 2/85; Surgeon General C. Everett Koop 3/87; Dr. Lowell Harmison, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health 2/85; Dr. Anthony Fauci, dir. NIAID, 2/85, 9/85, 2/86; Dr. Richard Krause, dir. NIAID 2/86; Dr. James Whitescarver, asst. to dir. NIAID 2/86; Peter Fischinger, asst. dir. National Cancer Institute 2/85; Dr. James Mason, dir. CDC & acting Asst. Sec'y for Health 2/86; Dr. Don Hopkins, asst. dir. CDC 2/86; Dr. Walter Dowdle, director, Center for Infectious Diseases 4/84; Bill Grigg, spokesman, FDA 2/85。
政府内部的备忘录是依据《信息自由法案》相关条款获得的。1983年，我曾向行政管理和预算办公室、卫生和公众服务部、疾控中心以及国家卫生研究所提出过申请。1985年，我再次向上述机构以及美国国防部和司法部提交申请。有关联邦资助决策的后续文件，来自由“技术评估办公室”出具的“关于公共卫生服务如何应对艾滋病的审查报告”（1985）以及由“政府间关系和人力资源小组委员会”出具的一份关于众议院政府运作委员会工作的报告（1983）。
艾滋病研究人员及医生纽约：Dr. Mathilde Krim, AIDS Medical Foundation & Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center 2/85, 1/86; Dr. Arye Rubinstein, Albert Einstein College of Medicine 2/85, 2/86; Dr. Joyce Wallace, St. Vincent's Hospital 2/85; Dr. Michael Lange, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital 2/85, 2/86; Dr. Dan William 1/86, 6/87; Dr. Alvin Friedman-Kien, NYU Hospital 1/86; Dr. Linda Laubenstein 1/86, 6/87; Dr. Larry Mass 1/86; Virginia Lehman, Bellevue Hospital 2/86; Dr. Donna Mildvan, Beth Israel Medical Center 2/86; Dr. Stuart Nicholls 2/86。
The account of the February 1985 AIDS conference sponsored by AIDS Medical Foundation was taken from a videotaped recording of the conference provided by American Foundation for AIDS Research. The name of the AIDSstricken child at Jacobi Hospital was changed to Diana to protect her confidentiality; this was the only name alteration in the book.
旧金山：Dr. Marcus Conant, University of California at San Francisco 4/82, 4/83, 10/83, 2/84, 3/84, 6/84, 8/84, 10/84, 11/84, 12/84, 3/85, 4/85, 8/85, 10/85, 12/85, 1/86, 7/86, 9/86 (2), 10/86; Dr. Paul Volberding, dir. San Francisco General Hospital AIDS Clinic 3/84, 8/84, 1/85, 2/85, 1/86, 2/86, 3/86, 12/86, 6/87; Dr. Constance Wofsy, assoc. dir. SFGH AIDS Clinic 5/83, 1/85; Dr. Donald Abrams, asst. dir. SFGH AIDS Clinic 10/83, 2/85, 5/85, 7/85, 8/85, 9/85, 10/85, 1/86, 1/87; Dr. Andrew Moss, epidemiologist, SFGH AIDS Clinic 3/83, 7/83, 2/84, 7/84, 11/84, 3/85; Dr. Jay Levy, UCSF Center for Human Tumor Virus Research 8/84, 3/85, 7/86; Dr. Mort Cowan, UCSF 7/86; Dr. Michael Gorman, epidemiologist 3/83; Dr. James Groundwater, dermatologist 11/83, 1/86, 2/86; Dr. Robert Bolan 3/83, 5/86; Peter Arno, UCSF Institute of Health Policy Studies 8/85; Dr. Edward Shaw, polio expert 10/85; Dr. Warren Winkelstein, professor of epidemiology, UC Berkeley 10/83, 11/84, 10/85, 5/87; David Lyman, San Francisco's Men's Study 8/84; Cliff Morrison, AIDS Coordinator, SFGH 10/83, 1/84, 3/84, 11/84, 5/86; Bill Barrick, RN, SFGH AIDS Ward 10/83; Cathy Juristo, RN, SFGH AIDS Ward 10/83; Bill Nelson, RN, SFGH AIDS Ward 11/84; Alyson Moed, RN, SFGH AIDS Ward 11/84; Paul O'Malley, SF City Clinic hepatitis study 3/86; John S. James, editor, AIDS Treatment News 3/87;
Dr. Samuel Stegman, dermatologist 4/83; Dr. Arthur Ammann, UCSF 8/83; Dr. Dan Stites, UCSF 8/83; Dr. Cornelius Hopper, special asst. to UC pres. 8/83; Dr. Rudi Schmid, dean of UCSF school of medicine 8/83; Dr. James Wiley, SF Men's Study 10/84。
亚特兰大，疾控中心：Dr. Don Francis, laboratory coordinator, AIDS Task Force 8/85, 10/85 (4), 11/85 (2), 1/86, 5/86; Dr. James Curran, dir. AIDS Task Force 6/83, 10/83, 12/83, 2/84, 4/84, 8/84, 12/84, 2/85, 4/85, 4/86, 2/87; Dr. V. S. Kalyanaraman 4/86; Dr. Bruce Evatt 3/86, 4/86; Don Berreth 4/84; Bill Darrow 4/86, 2/87; Dr. Harold Jaffe 4/82, 4/84, 11/84, 2/85, 2/86; Dr. Mary Guinan 4/84, 4/86; Dr. Dale Lawrence 4/86 (2), 2/87; Ward Cates 4/86; Dr. Paul Weisner 4/86; Dr. James Allen 2/85, 4/86, 2/87; Dr. Meade Morgan 1/86; Dr. Richard Selik 3/83, 12/83; Sandra Ford 4/84; Mary Cumberland 4/84; Dr. Thomas Spira 4/84; David Cross 4/84; Dr. Russ Havlak, Center for Prevention Services 1/86。
贝塞斯达，国家卫生研究院：Dr. Bill Blattner, NCI 2/86; Dr. Samuel Broder, clinical dir. NCI 2/86; Dr. James Goedert, NCI 2/86; Dr. Robert Biggar, NCI 2/86; Dr. Harry Haverkos, NIAID (previously with CDC) 3/84, 2/86; Dr. Robert Gallo, NCI Division of Tumor Cell Biology 4/86。
洛杉矶：Dr. Joel Weisman 3/86; Dr. Michael Gottlieb, UCLA 3/86, 9/86; Dr. David Auerbach UCLA 3/86; Dr. Wayne Shandera 5/86。
迈阿密：Drs. Mark Whiteside and Caroline MacLeod, Miami Institute of Tropical Medicine 4/85。
巴黎：Dr. Luc Montagnier, Pasteur Institute 9/84, 12/85; Dr. Jean-Claude Chermann, Pasteur 9/84, 2/85, 6/87; Dr. Willy Rozenbaum, Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital 9/84, 12/85, 6/87; Dr. Francoise Brun-Vezinet, Claude-Bernard Hospital & Pasteur 12/85; Dr. Francoise Barre, Pasteur 12/85; Dr. Jacques Leibowitch, Rene Descartes University 9/84, 12/85; Dr. David Klatzmann, Pitie-Salpetriere & Pasteur 12/85; Dr. Jean-Baptiste Brunei, World Health Organization 12/85; Michael Pollack, sociologist 12/85; Dr. Didier Seux, Pitie-Salpetriere 12/85。
布鲁塞尔：Dr. Nathan Clumeck, University of Brussels 11/85。
扎伊尔，金沙萨：Dr. Z. Lurhama, Clinique Universitaires 11/85。
波士顿：Dr. Myron Essex, Harvard School of Public Health 2/86。
芝加哥：Dr. David Ostrow 10/83，4/85，11/85。
哥本哈根：Dr. Bo Hoffman, Rigshospitalet 12/85; Dr. Viggo Faber, Rigshospitalet 12/85; Dr. Ib Bygbjerg, Rigshospitalet 12/85; Dr. Jan Gerstof, State Serum Institute 12/85. Other friends of Dr. Grethe Rask were interviewed, though they asked not to be identified。
市、县及州官员纽约：Dr. David Sencer, Commissioner of Health 2/85; Kevin Cahill, NYC Board of Health 2/85; Mel Rosen, director New York State AIDS Institute 2/85, 2/86。
旧金山：Mayor Dianne Feinstein 10/82, 5/83, 10/83, 3/84, 4/84, 5/84, 6/84; Dr. Mervyn Silverman, director, Department of Public Health 5/83, 6/83, 10/83, 1/84, 2/84. 3/84, 5/84, 6/84, 10/84, 11/84, 1/85, 2/85, 3/85, 4/85, 8/85, 3/86, 6/87; Dr. Selma Dritz, asst. dir. SF DPH Bureau of Communicable Disease Control 4/82, 3/83, 4/83, 5/83, 6/83, 7/83, 10/83, 11/83, 2/84, 1/86; Bill Cunningham, AIDS coordinator 9/83; William Petty, health inspector 10/84; City Attorney George Agnost 3/84; Deputy City Attorney Victoria Hobel 11/83; Deputy City Attorney Phil Ward 10/84; Dr. Dean Echenberg, dir. Bureau of Communicable Disease Control 7/84, 8/84, 11/84, 3/85, 4/85, 8/85; Board of Supervisors President Wendy Nelder 6/83, 9/83, 5/84, 10/84; Supervisor Richard Hongisto 3/84; Supervisor Bill Maher 9/83; Supervisor Harry Britt 6/83, 9/83, 2/84, 5/84, 6/84, 10/84; Supervisor Carol Ruth Silver 6/83; Dr. Steve Morin, CA DHS AIDS Task Force 1/84, 2/84, 6/85; Bruce Decker, CA AIDS Advisory Committee 9/85, 8/86; Dana Van Gorder, aide to Supervisor Harry Britt 3/83, 5/83, 6/83, 8/83, 9/83, 11/83, 2/84, 3/84, 4/84, 5/84, 6/84, 8/84, 12/84, 7/86; Assembly Speaker Willie Brown 8/83; Assemblyman Art Agnos 3/85, 4/85, 6/86, 7/86; Dr. Robert Benjamin, Alameda County Bureau of Comm. Diseases 8/85。
萨克拉门托：Dr. Ken Kizer, dir., Calif. Dept. of Health Services 3/85, 7/85, 7/86, 2/87; Dr. James Chin, dir. infectious diseases, Calif. Dept. of Health Services 8/85; Dr. Robert Anderson, Calif. DHS Office of AIDS 11/84, 6/86, 7/86, 5/87; Stan Hadden, aide to Sen. Pres. David Roberti 8/86。
同性恋社区、艾滋病患者协会、艾滋病服务机构及相关访谈洛杉矶：James Kepner, AIDS History Project, International Gay & Lesbian Archives 3/86; John Mortimer, AIDS Project Los Angeles 9/86; Paul Van Ness, exec. dir. APLA 9/86; Bill Meisenheimer, exec. dir. APLA 9/85。
纽约：Virginia Apuzzo, dir. National Lesbian/Gay Task Force 1/86; Charles Ortleb, publisher, New York Native 2/85, 2/86; Rodger McFarlane, executive director Gay Men's Health Crisis 8/84, 2/85, 2/86; Larry Kramer, organizer GMHC 2/85, 1/86 (3), 4/86; Paul Popham, pres. GMHC 2/86, 4/86; Enno Poersch, GMHC board member 4/86; Richard Dunne, exec. dir. GMHC 2/86, 5/86; David Nimmons 2/86; Terry Biern, American Foundation for AIDS Research 2/85, 2/86; Jeff Richardson 2/85, 2/86; Dr. Stephen Caiazza, pres. NY Physicians for Human Rights, 2/85, 10/85, 1/86。
旧金山：Cleve Jones 8/82, 10/82, 3/83 (2), 5/83, 3/84, 4/84 (2), 12/84, 9/85, 1/86, 6/86; Catherine Cusic, Harvey Milk Gay Democratic Club 6/83, 6/85, 12/85; Jack McCarty and Victor Amburgy, hostages 7/85; Gary Walsh, PWA, 5/83, 6/83, 7/83, 8/83, 12/83, 1/84; Rick and Angie Walsh, 10/85; Lu Chaikin, 9/85, 10/85 (2); Matt Krieger 5/83, 9/86, 11/86; Josep Brewer, 11/84, 10/85 (2), 11/85; Larry Bush, journalist and aide to Assemblyman Art Agnos 4/84, 10/84, 11/84, 1/85, 2/85, 3/85, 6/85, 7/85; Paul Lorch, editor, Bay Area Reporter 4/84; Konstantin Berlandt 5/83, 6/84; Allen White, Bay Area Reporter 7/84; Pat Norman 3/83, 6/86, 7/86, 8/86; Sharon Johnson 1/87; Dennis Seely 1/87; Bill Jones, proprietor, Sutro Bathhouse 6/83, 6/84; Randy Stallings, pres. Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club 3/83; Martin Cox, People With AIDS 5/83, 10/83, 11/83, 10/84; Paul Castro, PWA 6/83; Bob White, PWA in Paris for HPA-23 9/85, 11/85; Wayne Friday, pres. Tavern Guild 6/83, 12/86; Andrew Small, PWA 6/83; Lawrence Wilson, Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club 6/83; Russ Alley, businessman 6/83; Silvana Strangis 1/85; Anthony Ford 1/85; Louis Caspar, proprietor, Hothouse 7/83; Steve Folstad, exec. dir. Pacific Center for Human Growth 4/83; Leon McKusick, psychologist 4/83, 10/83, 2/84; Karl Stewart, leather columnist Bay Area Reporter 4/83; Mark Feldman, PWA 5/83; Hal Slate, proprietor, The Cauldron 5/83; Gloria Rodriguez, PWA mother 10/83; Gary Ebert, Shanti volunteer 11/84; Bob Owen, proprietor, Academy sex club 10/84; Roberta Achtenberg, Lesbian Rights Project 10/84; John Wahl, Committee to Preserve Our Sexual & Civil Liberties 1/85; Deotis McMather, PWA 10/83; Bruce Schneider 10/83; Nick DiLprea, PWA 10/83; Dale Bentley, proprietor, Club Baths 3/84; Bill Morse, Animals sex club 6/84; Ron Huberman, Harvey Milk Gay Demo Club 11/86; Wayne Friday, Bay Area Reporter 11/86; Gwenn Craig, Harvey Milk Gay Democratic Club 12/86; Dick Pabich 11/86; Ken Maley 12/86; Larry Littlejohn 3/84, 4/84, 12/86; Jocelynn Nielsen 1/87; Carole Migden, pres. Harvey Milk Gay Demo. Club 4/84, 11/86; Sal Accardi, Northern California Bathhouse Owner Assn. 3/84, 5/84; Jim Foster, former pres. Alice B. Toklas Demo. Club, 2/85; Mike Kraus 1/86, 3/86; Mary Kraus Whitesell 1/86; John Graham & Larry Benson, friends of Ken Home 2/86; Enrique Govantes 3/86; Bobbi Campbell 4/82; Ron Carey 4/82; Tom Simpson, Lambda Funeral Guild, 3/85; Dean Sandmire, Mobilization Against AIDS 9/85; Sam Puckett, SF AIDS Foundation 6/84; Larry Bye, Research & Decisions, Corp. 10/84; Tristano Palermo, social services dir, SF AIDS Foundation 11/84, 1/85; Ed Power, projects dir. SF AIDS Foundation 5/83, 10/83; Jim Geary, exec. dir. Shanti Project 4/82; Sam Pichotto, Operation Concern 10/83. Richard Rector, SF People With AIDS 10/85; Dan Turner, People With AIDS 6/83, 1/86; Kenn Purnell, KS Foundation 2/86; Op. cit. Kraus。
华盛顿：JeffLevi, National Gay & Lesbian Task Force 4/85, 8/85, 2/86; Garry MacDonald, Federation of AIDS-Related Organizations 8/85; Don Michaels, publisher, Blade 2/86; Vic Basile, Human Rights Campaign Fund 2/86。
明尼阿波利斯：City Councilman Brian Coyle 4/84; State Senator Allan Spear 4/84; State Rep. Karen Clark 4/84。
波士顿：City Councilman David Scoundras, 4/84。
温哥华：Kevin Brown, PWA 3/86, Bob Tivey, AIDS Vancouver 3/86。盖坦·杜加斯的两名朋友同意接受采访，前提是他们的名字不能出现在本书中。
有关洛克·哈德森在巴黎最后一段时间的生活，参考了当时的新闻报道、采访和两本关于他的传记《Rock Hudson：His Story and Idol—Rock Hudson：The True Story of an American Film Hero》。
关于各大报纸杂志的艾滋病报道覆盖率，其数据出自美国疾控中心委托NEXIS对艾滋病报道进行的分析。
马修·克里格的日记经他本人授权直接使用。
关于1970年代末和1980年代初旧金山同性恋人口迁移模式的统计数据，取自研究与决策公司1984年对旧金山同性恋群体进行的人口统计研究，该研究由旧金山艾滋病基金会委托进行。
关于旧金山同性恋社区的历史资料主要来自本人在写作《The Mayor of Castro Street：The Life & Times of Harvey Milk》一书时所做的研究。
本书中使用的气象数据由旧金山地球环境服务中心的史蒂夫·纽曼提供。
血库行业Dr. Joseph Bove 3/86; Dr. John Klok, Pacific Presbyterian Cancer Research Center 8/84; Brian McDonough, president, Irwin Memorial Blood Bank 3/85, 4/85, 3/86; Dr. Herb Perkins, med. dir. Irwin 8/84; Gerry Sohle, Los Angeles Red Cross Blood Services 8/84; Dr. Robert Huitt, exec. dir. Council for Community Blood Centers 8/84; Dr. Edgar Engleman, Stanford Medical Center Blood Bank 8/84, 10/85; Ruth Cordell, lab. mgr. Irwin 3/85; Ray Price, sales rep., Abbott Labs 3/85; Dr. J. Lawrence Naiman, dir. blood services, Santa Clara Red Cross 3/85; Robert and Cathy Borchelt 3/86; Borchelt family attorneys James Waite and Sarah Jane Burgess 3/86. Op. fit. Dritz, Evatt, Lawrence, Curran, Francis, Jaffe, Westmoreland and Brandt.
关于1983年1月的政策会议，素材来自对与会者的采访，以及当时的新闻稿及新闻报道，尤其是《Inquirer》《New York Native》《The Truth About AIDS》。关于血液行业的一般资料及产业信息也出自“技术评估办公室”发布的一份题为《血液政策和技术》的报告（1985）。
以下是本书调研过程中的部分录音采访：
Dr. Robert Gallo (4/19/86, Bethesda); Dr. Edward Brandt (2/6/85, Baltimore); Dr. Luc Montagnier (9/12/84 & 12/5/85, Paris); Dr. Willy Rozenbaum (9/13/84 & 12/3/85, Paris); Dr. Jean-Claude Chermann (9/12/84, Paris); Dr. Francoise Barre (12/6/85, Paris); Dr. Jacques Leibowitch (9/12/84 & 12/5/85); Dr. Francoise Brun-Vezinet (12/5/85, Paris); Dr. David Klatzmann (12/5/85, Paris).