WHAT YOU CAN DO TO AVOID AIDS <i> by Earvin “Magic” Johnson (Times Books: $3.99) </i> and THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SAFER SEX <i> edited by Ted McIlvenna (Barricade Books: $6.95).</i>

Although Johnson cautions that he uses “words you’ll hear more often in the locker room than in the classroom,” his advice for teen-agers is couched in cautious language that could offend only the most prudish reader. The informal text sensibly places HIV-infection in the same context as other sexually transmitted diseases, and emphasizes the need to avoid all of them, stressing the need for knowledge and the dangers of ignorance, carelessness and braggadocio. All of this information is available from other sources, but the presence of the basketball superstar’s name and the warm, compassionate tone make it a book that the target audience may actually read and heed. “What You Can Do” is being published simultaneously in Spanish as “Como Protegerse contra el SIDA,” with the profits from both editions going to the Magic Johnson Foundation. Parents who feel uneasy discussing sex with their teen-aged children would be wise to buy the book for them: It could be a gift of life. Compiled by the researchers at the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, “The Complete Guide” offers more explicit, non-judgmental advice for adults in the era of AIDS. The authors stress their own version of the R ‘s: All people have the Right to a fulfilling sex life that does not exploit others; all who participate in sexual activities assume certain Responsibilities for themselves, their partners and society; everyone should be able to enjoy the Rewards of sexuality. Acknowledging that abstinence is not a realistic alternative for many people, McIlvenna and his fellow scientists stress that proper attitudes can make safer sex spontaneous, pleasurable and fulfilling. “The Complete Guide” offers sane thoughts about a subject that has become the focus of overheated and often fantastic rhetoric.