This dissertation offers a critical examination of the development of public communication on HIV/AIDS. It analyzes the factors underlying the choices made regarding prevention strategies, campaigns, and evaluation methods in France from 1987 to 2000. This research focuses on the links between the organizations involved in this activity, the rationales for action, and the production of messages about AIDS. To identify the specific characteristics of these interactions, the processes of campaign development are examined through comparisons at various levels. The investigation extends to other aspects of HIV/AIDS prevention policy, to AIDS campaigns in Switzerland, and to existing mechanisms in France concerning other health issues. This thesis demonstrates that successive policy frameworks have guided and structured the mobilization of knowledge, expertise, and political intervention in varying ways, complicating the achievement of consensus. [author’s abstract]