Reviews (3)

Not only for HIV education efforts!
This is an exceptional and courageously written book. It is a'must read' for anyone involved in efforts to get groups of people to change their behavior. Limitations of public education efforts identified in this book can be applied to numerous public health endeavors. Without the insights of this author, we will continue to make attempts to apply programs that will fail because we have failed to understand the context in which the undesirable behavior patterns occur. This is a tough, sobering and realistic piece of work.
I also found it a pleasure to read, profoundly interesting, although often tragically so.

Damocles Sword
There are few books about AIDS that are worth reading, let alone reviewing. The vast majority remain constrained by the rigid confines of their conceptualisation, almost none daring to suggest that their conceptualisation might be wrong. The author of this book is one of the very few who dare do this and as a result has produced a book which is not only outstanding intellectually but should also be mandatory reading for anyone who has an interest in programmes that attempt to have an impact on any one of the multitude of epidemics of HIV infection. In fact it should be mandatory reading for anyone who has an interest in programmes that attempt to change the way people are in relation to what are called the development problems of today.

The book describes the author's experiences with a project that started out by trying to reduce the risk of infection by HIV amongst three groups in a mining town in South Africa - female sex workers, male miners, and young people. There were two approaches to doing this: peer education and the "promotion of partnerships between a diverse array of community groupings of stakeholders to coordinate and support the variety of local HIV-prevention efforts in such a way that maximized their overall cumulative effectiveness". The interventions chosen were all invested with the glowing approbation of the international 'AIDS project' community as prime examples of what should be done in such situations. In terms of having any impact on the epidemic or on the sexual culture of the area the project has so far been a failure. The author analyses the reasons for this failure in a number of analytical contexts.

The author is very well placed to analyse the history of the project. She herself as a social psychologist had been involved in the township in 1995 in trying to understand the reasons why there is such a high prevalence of HIV infection amongst the miners and sex workers despite their obvious knowledge of the existence of HIV and the ways in which it is transmitted. The studies themselves form part of the opening chapters, and provide very good insight into the conditions of these people's lives and the enormous social factors that influence their lives and decision-making. The following chapters describe the way the project grew as a result of a drive from some local people for work that would affect the growing numbers of people with AIDS and from a group of scientists and professionals (including the author) who had an interest in the area. One chapter provides the initial theoretical justification for the various actions that were taken, with heavy leaning on the writings of Paulo Freire on the conscientisation side, Pierre Bourdieu for social capital, and on the experiences of peer education with sex workers in Zimbabwe of David Wilson and others.

The book will be invaluable for the discussion of the importance of the social context for behaviour, and indeed will be read by many for that alone. It also details the very many ways in which the project's ideals fell by the wayside (the rates of sexually transmitted infection in miners actually rose during the period of the project, there were many difficulties with the peer education approach for young people in school, the stakeholders were far from unified in their vision or even interest) or were partially successful (there were several changes amongst the sex workers), and again these experiences will be as interesting as they are familiar to many who work with such projects.

However this book goes far beyond such a discussion. She points to the inadequacies of our current theoretical and modelling frameworks for such interventions; to the fact that the stakeholders who were involved did not see themselves as part of the epidemic or as people whose behaviour had to change; to the fact that the designers and researchers of the project had much discord and competition amongst themselves; to the great mistrust that developed between the researchers and much of the 'community'. In fact, although the author tries to scotch the problem with the definition of 'community' by stating that in this case the term 'community' refers to the people in a geographic area, the tension behind this definition continues throughout the book as it is acknowledged that only a few of the many individuals and groups in the area were in fact being requested to change their ways - the paternalism and continued power of the 'senior' stakeholders continuing throughout.

The value of the book is still more. The lessons drawn in the concluding chapter smack of a level of desperation in the author to find lessons, and this may perhaps be the only weakness of the book. In these lessons the author still struggles to keep the idea going that somehow in a better world the interventions could have had an impact if only people had carried them through according to the wishes of the project designers. The deep question the author raises in the mind of the reader is whether such approaches can ever work in relation to an epidemic (as opposed to being valuable for a few individuals or groups). This question is not actually present in the book (although there are numerous hints of the author's disquiet concerning the mismatch between the daily reality of people's lives and the wishes and interests of the project managers) but it hangs over ever sentence as did the sword over Damocles. As for Dionysius in relation to those who wield power, it is a question hanging over all those who praise mindlessly the black art of development.

Compelling critical analysis of HIV prevention efforts
If you are interested in how to prevent HIV, in community development work, or in what happens when academic ideals meet local community realities, then this book will stimulate, inform, surprise, and even galvanise you. This important book offers a unique view of the inside workings of an actual community HIV prevention programme as it unfolded. It details the failures of the programme, in order to insist that we must make much more effort to address the hard questions of economic and gender inequalities and political will. By making visible the everyday power dynamics among community members, stakeholders and project workers, the book makes a major contribution to understanding the problematic process of community development. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Any writer attempting to tackle the AIDS pandemic faces a demanding task. Now spanning decades and covering the globe, it has claimed a staggering number of lives (more than 40 million people are currently infected with HIV and 8,500 die of AIDS each day). That's more than most of us can grasp. The plague's heroes and villains aren't celebrated or demonized like those in a conventional war. For AIDS, there is no FDR or Hitler; there are just the victims of an inconceivable holocaust. Greg Behrman employs an almost cinematic perspective to address the catastrophe in his fast-moving history, cutting to new locations and characters to capture the epic nature of the global AIDS struggle. A vivid cast of characters populates these pages, ranging from U.S. presidents to activists, physicians, diplomats, and rock stars (U2's Bono emerges as one of the most pragmatic and effective combatants).What's heartbreaking is that, despite the best work of many (and, to a degree, because of the tepid or obstructive efforts of others), the disease remains a mighty foe. Both moral and moderate in tone, Behrman focuses on American anti-AIDS efforts, believing the United States' mighty wealth at the end of the 20th century and its own experiences with the epidemic gave it a unique capability and responsibility to lead the fight the fight in Africa and elswewhere. The American effort, he's forced to conclude, has been "inglorious." --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A fascinating, insightful read
Greg Behrman's Invisible People is a riveting, well-written account of how the AIDS epidemic has shaped the global landscape. Personally, I was astounded by the statistics in the preface --25 million dead, 40 million currently infected, 8,000 people dying of AIDS every day--and gripped by Behrman's description of the heroes and villians in our battle against one of the greatest killers the world has ever known. This is an important book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Absolutely Brilliant!
This is an exceptionally well written, well researched look into not only AIDS and black America, but into some of the darker corners of American life itself. Levenson writes with clarity and empathy while answering the tough questions that until now, only a few have known how to ask. This book is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in our society, the spread of AIDS and how black America got left holding the bag. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Truly smart writing about gay culture.
Rofes look at gay life and culture--including his own--is the most refreshing take on gay male sexuality I have read in ten years. Yes, he takes on other gay writers, but he takes on their ideas, he doesn't attack them. His insights into the AIDS crisis, and how gay men are adjusting to a post-crisis era, are profoundly moving. I would recommend this book to anyone who's had it with scoldings from gay white puritans and reactive posturing of gay radicals. Rofes occupies the sensible center of the new sex wars, and does so with grace, tact, and style. A very important book.

Good message - bad messenger.
In addition to authoring a well-reasoned argument for declaring an end to the AIDS "crisis," Rofes offers a spirited rebuttal of Signorile, Rotello, Kramer et al. It's too bad he's so militantly self-important about it. Incredibly, one (long) chapter describes the terrible dilemma he faced having to choose between UC Berkeley and Harvard. He then goes on to denounce his opponents as "privileged"! The odd Biblical reference in the title makes a little more sense once you get to the part where Rofes calls for a gay version of Promise Keepers. It's easy to picture the author fantasizing about pushing Signorile, Rotello and Kramer out of the way so that he can once and for all be recognized as the true gay Moses. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Over the past 10 years, AIDS educators have consistently had one truth driven home to them: it is impossible to talk about HIV, AIDS, and safe sex without talking about how people live their lives. This is the message that resonates through Rafael M. Diaz's Latino Gay Men and HIV. Diaz, trained as a social worker, is a Professor of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco, and has created a panoramic portrait of the wide range of issues that Latino gay men deal with in making decisions about safe sex. Discussing issues of poverty, class, ethnicity, and gender as well as concepts of"manliness" in Latin culture, Diaz supplies us with some steps that might be taken to help stop the spread of AIDS among Latino men. Perhaps more important, his writing conveys an insightful, nuanced portrait of gay Latino men's lives. Perceptive, intelligent, and sensitively written, Latino Gay Men and HIV is an important addition to AIDS literature and to the growing body of work that examines the diversity of gay life and culture. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

muy informativo i excelente!
Dr. Diaz talks about the multiple factors which may contribute to gay Latino men's susceptibility to contract HIV/AIDS. This book is great in that it does not assume that all Latinos associate gays with whiteness or that those who are attracted to men refrain from identifying as gay. It ends with a promotion of activism and a description of a gay Latino organization that is fighting the disease. Every GLM that I know in San Francisco owns a copy and every gay person of color should go out and buy one for themselves. This book is an important contribution to gay studies and Latino studies. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Intriguing hypothesis - great reading
This book is an indepth attempt to document and explain the correlation between the development of oral polio vaccine and the foci of HIV outbreaks in sub-Sahara Africa. In so doing it poses several questions of paramount importance, one of which is the source of kidney cultures for vaccine production. Many of the researchers involved in the vaccine program have since died (Sabin, Salk) but through interviews and archived documents the author develops a frightening hypothesis, HIV may be a product of human research! Whether or not you accept the author's hypothesis, this book is superbly written and is a great sequel to 2 other books "And the Band Played On" and "The Coming Plague". This book forced me to go back and re-read both of these again. I highly recomend this book.

Fascinating
The River presents a very even-handed account of how an oral polio vaccine, perhaps contaminated with simian virus during processing may have caused AIDS in Africa where it was administered in the late '50s. While the story is full of assumptions, some of which must be incorrect, Hooper has gone to the ends of the earth to try to prove his theory with facts. He also has no qualms about admitting that some of his early assumptions were proved incorrect later in his 10 year research odessey. In fact, his whole theory may be incorrect but those who can help disprove it have refused to be forthcoming with information, documentation and tests that could put an end to the speculation. This includes the main protagonist, Dr Koprowski, whose economy with the truth, as well as his often at best careless and at worst reckless and undocumented vaccine trials leave one with no other conlusion that some sort of cover-up is at work, even if only to protect giant egos. (And I am NOT a conspiracy theorist!) However, the implications of the theory, if correct, are enormous and frightening but still no excuse for closeting crucial medical information. No reasonable person, given the facts in the book can deny that any compelling evidence has been offered to disprove Hooper's theory (which doesn't mean it's true). Remember Sherlock Holmes - when all else has been eliminated, what remains, however unreasonable...

Dr Koprowski, we await the truth, not for blame, (one person is never solely responsible for a failure of this magnitude), but for assistance in avoiding a repeat of history and for information that may help solve the tragic problem of AIDS.

Mr Hooper, has anything new come to light?

We may never know, but a well argued rebuttal is welcome, even if published in Rolling Stone!

Truly a book of tremendous historical significance and a rare look into the real workings of the mysterious world of medical science and colonialism. Well worth the read whether you agree with the theory or not, the book is extremely well written in such as way as to perfectly convey the author's own see-saw feelings of eureka and let-down while sparing the reader that Elvis is alive conspiracy-theory feeling that taint so may of these sorts of books. You won't be able to put it down.

This Theory is Refuted ... YET AGAIN
Conspiracy theorists are entitled to their own ramblings in their own fantasy land. However, when it negatively impacts humanity, (in this case, global polio eradication), and the conspiracy theorist earns profits from his book with tiresome resurrections of the issue, one must start looking at the hard facts. The scientific community has already invested an immense volume of resources (including direct analysis of the OPV stocks in question) to address this theory, and every evidence contradicted the scenario laid out in this book.

The latest counterproof emerges from a study which directly analyzed the chimpanzees in the Kisangani area. The approach was sanctioned by no other than the late Bill Hamilton, who initiated the first expedition in the area, being convinced that it is the most direct way to address this theory once and for all. After much toil (3 expeditions mounted, one of which Bill Hamilton himself perished from malaria), it was found that the chimpanzees in the area have a distinct virus strain that was most closely related to those found in Gombe National Park in Tanzania than to the HIV-1 strains infecting people right now. Thus, the Kisangani SIVcpz, and therefore any polio vaccine that may have been prepared there, could not have been the source of HIV-1. (...)

A word of caution
A wonderful book which clearly explains some intriguing, if unproven, theories. As much a cautionary tale as a scientific work.

In reference to the Clinical Infectious Diseases article (2001;32:1068-1084), it should be noted that the author of this article was one of the scientists possibly implicated by this book.

Hooper experienced many roadblocks during his research for the book and many of them were placed before him by eminent scientists who preferred not to get involved in a book which might harm the reputation of their profession by suggesting that it may have been responsible (accidentally or otherwise) for disastrous wrongdoing during the development of the OPV.

In the article, the author acknowledges the assistance and input from many of his colleagues in the scientific profession. Personally, I believe this is further proof that the medical/scientific community are more than happy to work together to protect the reputation of their profession but are less inclined to involve themselves in a project aiming to reveal the truth, no matter how horrifying and sinister that truth may turn out to be.

Well written and extrememly convincing, but . . .
While this book was well written and very convincing, it has since been proven wrong.

Modern experimental evidence conducted and obtained since the book was published (and because it was published) has all but debunked Hooper's theory.

For those interested, I suggest going to a medical or collge library and reading the following paper for a good review of the scientific data:

"CHAT oral polio vaccine was not the source of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 group M for humans."

Clinical Infectious Diseases    2001;32:1068-1084

Hooper's work is an excellent example of how, if one is not careful, one can interpret data to mean anything one wants it to. ... Read more

Book Description

An award-winning journalist offers the only global analysis of AIDS treatment and prevention in countries from South Africa to China.

In dispatches written from around the world, Anne-christine d'Adesky reports on the greatest challenge facing us today: the global effort to provide life-saving medicines and care to 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS in resource-poor countries, the great majority in sub-Saharan Africa. She analyzes the obstacles to providing universal access to antiretroviral drugs whose cost has been out of reach to millions until now, and she exposes the underlying and often competing agendas of donor and recipient governments, funders, activists and individuals with HIV who are struggling to survive. In lively, in-depth field reports from countries including Cuba, Brazil, Russia, Haiti, Mexico, Uganda, South Africa, China and India, she reveals how pilot and national treatment programs are serving as models. They provide a litmus test of the feasibility of HIV and AIDS treatment in settings of abject poverty, underdevelopment and economic and political instability. Looking ahead, Moving Mountains discusses the potential of AIDS treatment programs to bolster prevention efforts and help rebuild shattered nations and economies. It also warns of the consequences that could face individuals, nations and the world if we fail to achieve this monumental task. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Read this one
Moving Mountains is a thorough and moving account of the overwhelming worldwide threat of AIDs and the struggle to provide preventive medicines to those communities devastated by the virus yet lacking the resources necessary to contain it. Although I approached this book possessing very little knowledge about the AIDs virus and quite ignorant of its treatment methods, I found D'Adesky's study not only clear and informative, but involving and compassionate. Her relentlessly complete account of the immeasurable repercussions of AIDs, and the mind-numbing statistics she presents, are balanced by powerful personal accounts of AIDs victims and activists. Yet most important I think is D'Adesky discussion of the direction AIDs prevention is going and the disastrous results of failing to provide treatment. Although controlling the spread of the virus is an enormous task, as D'Adesky urgently informs us, the epidemic cannot continue to be ignored, and treatment cannot continue to be out of reach to the impoverished communities that need it most. I strongly recommend D'Adesky's book; it is a passionate and necessary addition to AIDS literature that should be read by all those actively interested in AIDs research - which should be every one of us. ... Read more

Book Description

The book draws on first hand research and in-depth investigations carried out by a team of researchers from Britain, Zambia and Tanzania, and focuses on the gendered aspect of the struggle against AIDS. ... Read more

Book Description

Since it was first diagnosed in the early 1980s, AIDS has changed the landscape of society. Yet we still lack a necessary basic understanding of its power and impact.

The Encyclopedia of AIDS provides a comprehensive look at AIDS and its effects on society, politics, law, and humans and contains information to help increase awareness and preparedness where the disease is concerned. With more than 300 entries contributed by 175 authorities, ranging from academics to doctors, it covers major topics in eight areas:

•basic science and epidemiology
• transmission and prevention
•pathology and treatment
• impacted populations
• policy and law
• politics and activism
• culture and society
• the global epidemic ... Read more

Book Description

In this riveting, magisterial narrative, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Crewdson shows how one of America's star bioscientists falsely claimed to have been the first to isolate the AIDS virus, then garnered the resulting honors and riches at the expense of the true discoverers in Paris; how the Reagan and Bush administrations struggled to cover up the truth; and how it all finally came out anyway, at the expense of the reputations of celebrated scientists and important government officials. SCIENCE FICTIONS is an arresting tale of vanity, corruption, greed, mendacity, and cutthroat competition-an enthralling revelation of how big bioscience really works today. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A political thriller in its own right

I loved this book on two levels: sheer entertainment, and political history.

On the entertainment side, I somehow can't get enough of "abuse of power" stories and their wretched central characters. Crewdson is the first to unequivocally and clearly document the most egregrious example on record in our most hallowed halls, those of science. Watch (and wonder) as the supposedly magisterial and wise drop everything but the thinnest pretense of honorable, rational behavior in a lust for fame, status, and patent annuities. It is a great white collar crime story, aided and abetted by many of Gallo's government loyalists, all of whom share the blame.

On the political history side, Crewdson has exposed the modern myth of the infallible scientist, a kind of Macbeth of microbiology whose need for power threw his community into disarray. Although Crewdson doesn't say so, an interesting result may have been this: twenty years ago scientists were reported as baffled by AIDS, and today they are reported as still baffled (just scan over the "AIDS at 20" area of The New York Times Web site). Now take Crewdson's ghastly tale - never before fully told - and sandwich it in. You finish wondering if the entire course of AIDS research wasn't derailed from the beginning by Gallo's behavior and "gold rush" mentality.

The bonus for the reader is that buying this book is like voting for a free press. Crewdson is the rare journalist whose own sweat and sacrifice is evident on every page, and without whose kind we could hope for little truth where it matters most.

A masterpiece
This book is a stunning achievement that should win many awards. It brilliantly captures the shocking dishonesty of our top AIDS researchers and government officials. It should make most readers question much of what we have been told by the AIDS establishment about AIDS and HIV. Crewdson portrays Robert Gallo so deftly and dramatically (often with Gallo's own words) that it is hard to believe that Oliver Stone won't make this into a movie. Gallo comes off as the Nixon of AIDS.
Crewdson is a very skilled researcher and writer who knows how to turn complex science into graceful, lucid prose. While this is a deadly serious book, I couldn't put it down and at times I found passages about Gallo and his AIDS cronies absolutely hilarious. But after one stops laughing comes the chilling thought that many of these dangerous clowns are still in control of AIDS research. Anyone who cares about the history of AIDS and the future of the epidemic must read this book. It is the most important contribution to our understanding of the real story of AIDS since Randy Shilts' "And the Band Played On." It certainly deserves the same amount of attention and success.

A riveting non-fiction thriller
This account of the discovery of the AIDS virus and the machinations and lies and trials and tribulations that followed was riveting. This book had me glued to my seat. Highly recommended.

Outstanding
Finally a book that puts all the pieces together. Having performed the initial flawed AIDS tests, I have always wondered at the political ramifications. And having worked as a Blood Banker for many years, I can only feel sadness knowing how the nation's blood supply was affected by the greed of one man. This book really needs to be made into a movie so that the public and politicians alike can understand how egos and politics can cause so much damage. I particularly like how the author intersperses true incidents where innocent victims contracted HIV because of the flawed Gallo AIDS test we were forced to use. This really drives Crewdson's point home. A job well done.

watch your back
What I found most interesting about the book is the description of the appalling research culture at the NIH. This is after all the world's best funded and perhaps the world's leading biomedical research institution at least in quantity of output if not in quality. The book makes it more than clear that the institution was aware, tolerated, and at times rewarded research ethics that stink to high heavens. The possibility that the likes of Gallo and his supervisors may have influenced a generation of scientists is truly appalling. Never having worked at the NIH itself I find it now much easier to comprehend the behavior and the social norms of my NIH trained colleagues. I therefore highly recommend to anybody planning to work at NIH or having to work with alumni of this institution. ... Read more

Book Description

New drugs and drug combinations have turned HIV/AIDS into a long-term illness rather than a death sentence. Practical advice on mental adjustments and physical vigilance is outlined here. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (17)

Too difficult to hold, too engaging to put down
Like its prequel "Becoming a Man", Paul Monette's Borrowed Time is exceptionally well-written, and together they form one of the most important autobiographies our times. Borrowed Time, the story of Paul Monette's and his partner Roger Horowitz's struggle with AIDS, is sometimes emotionally too hard to go on reading, but at the same time too engaging to put down. While reading it I literaly had those feelings. If Becoming a Man is the ultimate growing up/coming out story, then Borrowed Time is the ultimate AIDS story. Together they tell the story of gay life in our times better than any other book I read.

Provocative, tragic
I picked this book up in a thrift store last week and have just suffered with Paul and Roger as I read. Immediately I searched Amazon.com looking for other writings by Paul Monette and learned of his death in 1995. Now I'm really depressed. I'm straight, white, female, a wife and a mother of a 2 year old. Probably not Paul's expected audience yet he reached me deeply. I feel tremendous compassion for anyone dying of AIDS and for those that love them. I will look for an opportunity to demonstrate love to someone with AIDS.

Bravo!
I had to take two days off from work when I started this book because I just couldnt make myself put it down.

Paul (I write in Frankness because by the end of the book all the charecters become like Family) writes with such simplicity and command that one feels like sitting by a campside listening to a wise man tell a heart wrenching tale.

Moreover, one thing i really admired about monette was that he doesnt try to gain sympathy by cashing in on his life. He doesnt use over dramatization as tools of deploying tears!

I really loved the ending because it brought such a fatal blow and with so little effort that the readers themselves had to grieve.

Furthermore, I learnt a wealth of information about HIV and AIDS from this book. Plus I just couldnt believe the red-tapism in the USA medical system. It really made me angry.

Read this book , Pronto!!
May Paul and his lover rest in peace!!

Profoundly emotional
The story of Paul and Roger starts off as the ultimate love story of two people who found themselves in their partner. Their struggle with Roger's diagnosis and illness just cements that feeling of absolute oneness. I have never read a book as emotionally demanding. I have never cried when closing a book. Until now.

A classic love story
More than anything, this book struck me as being a love story. Paul and Roger share a really warm, comfortable life...the kind most people hope to find with a partner. This makes the fact that Roger dies so young, of such a devestating illness, doubly tragic, because of all we know he is leaving behind. Paul Monette was a gifted writer, who showed a great deal of courage when he shared so personal a piece of his life with the world. ... Read more

Book Description

`This gripping narrative not only documents the history of humankind's interaction with a clever virus, it brings to the forefront the much and understated and underused role of communication in HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment. Singhal and Rogers remind us that our global environment is shaped by powerful communication means and methods that, if properly harnessed, can help defeat the plague of the 21st century' - Neil McKee, Senior Technical Advisor for HIV//AIDS and Adolescent Health, Johns Hopkins University

`This book is an important contribution to AIDS education globally. The rich and diverse cases analyze, humanize and contextualize the continuum of HIV//AIDS prevention, care and support. Researchers and practitioners will find this book most useful' - Collins Airhihenbuwa, Professor of Bio-Behavioural Health, Penn State University

`Educating people about AIDS is one of the biggest communication challenges that we face today. This remarkable book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the challenges and ways to overcome it. Thorough and hopeful, this is one of those books that can actually make a difference in this world' - Emanuel Rosen, author of 'The Anatomy of Buzz'

`A thoroughly readable and inspiring book by two of the world's foremost health communication experts. Accessible and personalised, it is a "must-read" for all those interested in AIDS prevention, care and support' - Shereen Usdin, Co-Founder of the Soul City Institute of Health and Development Communication, South Africa

`This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the strategies related to HIV//AIDS communications. It is published at a critical moment as the world increasingly realizes the role of communication in the fight against HIV//AIDS' - Rafael Obregon, Social Communication Advisor, Pan American Health Organization

HIV//AIDS is a matter of global concern. The world is now more than 20 years into the HIV//AIDS crisis with no vaccine in sight, and relatively few effective and sustainable prevention programs. Although the rate of HIV infection and AIDS deaths has declined in the richer nations of the developed world, infection rates are soaring in developing countries. AIDS is now the leading cause of death in Africa, and the fourth leading cause of death globally.

The purpose of this book is to synthesize critical lessons about effective HIV//AIDS prevention programmes, with a major emphasis on communication strategies. The authors feel that despite the growing AIDS crisis, the world is making poor use of behaviour change and communication strategies for HIV//AIDS prevention. To begin with, the role of communication strategies in HIV prevention, care and support has been grossly underestimated. Prevention is shortchanged, despite the fact that no cure for AIDS has been found, and the cost of anti-retroviral therapy is out of reach for most who need it. Many communication strategies are culturally inappropriate, so they may offend public sensitivities, which is easy to do when dealing with a sensitive topic that involves sex, stigma and death.

Combating AIDS: Communicaton Strategies in Action focuses on communication strategies that could mobilize political action, target high-risk groups, and overcome stigma. The authors have also described and analyzed the value of entertainment-education strategy in HIV prevention and care, highlighting the use of popular, long-running television and radio soap operas to engage audiences emotionally and create a forum for public debate and discussion.

Focusing on the work being carried out by the individuals and organizations, this book humanizes the AIDS epidemic. Interesting, informative, and readable, this unique book will be of interest to those in the field of community and public health, social medicine, social work and public policy, as well as media professionals and voluntary agencies.

Book Description

This book remains the most complete resource of its kind for people with HIV and AIDS and for their families and friends. The fourth edition explains how to help ensure the effectiveness of the new treatments and, for those for whom the treatments don't work, how to remain well as long as possible. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Highly recommended!
As a PWA (Person living with AIDS) and a professional that works in the private Social Services sector specializing in HIV/AIDS patient care, I highly recommend this book!

This book can function as both a personal and/or professional guide to the disease, the services and benefits that someone living with HIV/AIDS may qualify for, and a general overview of some of the drugs and treatment options.

This book is also a wonderful tool to give to friends and family should someone living with HIV/AIDS choose to disclose their Sero-status.

Highly recommended without any reservation!

Good, but dry.....
I agree with most of what the other reviewers are saying, but I found it a bit dry, and somewhat frightening if anyone reading it was just diagnosed with HIV; flipping through it can fill you with "doom and gloom".....

Excellent and thorough
An excellent guide which explains how HIV is transmitted, evaluates available treatment and prevention, provides counsel on coping with the emotional effects of the infection, and addresses financial and legal concerns. New to this revised and updated edition are detailed discussions of new drugs, special considerations for women, and recent data on CF4 cell counts and viral load.

Comprehensive. Everything you might & might not want to know
As someone only recently becoming interested in HIV this book covered alot of ground, including the medical course of the disease, the emotional effects on those with the infection and those caring for people with it and legal matters. Designed more as a manual, where certain chapters can be skipped if not relative to a persons needs, it's structure still led easily from one section to the next. Accounts from people living with the virus and their cargivers add a human touch which can be associated with by almost anyone. A very good book for anyone coming in blind to the subject. Interesting, thought provoking and intellegent...

Essential reading for anyone infected with HIV
This up-to-date 1998 book is absolutely essential reading for anyone with HIV or AIDS. The book not only addresses the medical aspects of this virus, but also such issues as understanding and communicating about HIV, how to deal with HIV's possible effects on the body, insuarance and HIV and guidance for making legal, financial and medical decisions. No book written prior to 1998 offers current enough information about this virus. For this year, this book can serve as a vital referenc manual for those with HIV or those who love someone with HIV. ... Read more

Book Description

From the leading foundation for AIDS research, acomprehensive guide to help readers understand the complexities ofHIV/AIDS and provide the latest information on combination therapy. TheAmFAR AIDS Handbook picks up where other books on AIDS leave off. It isthe book you will turn to for a greater understanding of this disease,its causes and effects, and what new treatment options are beingdeveloped. How is HIV transmitted? When should antiviral treatment begin?Should treatment ever be stopped? How do protease inhibitors work? Howdoes the disease differ in men, women, and children? This guideincorporates the latest research findings-including those on combinationdrug therapy-and answers all your questions in language comprehensible tononscientists. AmFAR (American Foundation for AIDS Research) is theleading nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of laboratory andclinical research on AIDS, AIDS prevention, and advocacy for soundAIDS-related public policy. It has given out over $140 million to morethan 1700 research teams. Elizabeth Taylor is the founding nationalchairman and Dr. Mathilde Krim is the founding co-chair and chairman ofthe board. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good Reference, Hard Read
This book is great to have on your shelf, but a tough one to keep by your bed. At times it gets rather technical, and doesn't explain the practical side of things. It is a wonderful reference, you can probably find anything you'd like (at least, dated year 2000). It is not a book for people who know very little about AIDS, I'd suggest getting familiar with it all first.

Struggling for Answers?
This is a great book for both people living with AIDS and people struggling to understand the disease. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Review from AIDS Book Review Journal
"Excellent...A highly recommended book for all academic and medical libraries...Should be read by anyone who is administering and HIV prevention program." ... Read more