Rethinking AIDS Prevention: Learning from Successes in Developing Countries

Rethinking AIDS Prevention: Learning from Successes in Developing Countries

Paraeger/Greenwood, 88 Post Road West, PO Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007. ISBN 0-86569-316-1. $39.95.
Edward C. Green

This is a book that tries to focus on those successes in AIDS prevention rather than the failures, even though the successes may not be as dramatic as one would hope in this stage of the pandemic. It is these successes that others in less developed countries can learn and hopefully be successful in their prevention efforts. The focus of this book is on heterosexual transmission of HIV in less-developed countries and on just sexually transmitted AIDS. Based on the findings that are reported in the book, it is reasonable that prevention programs should follow the ABCs: Abstain, Be faithful, or use Condoms if you cannot follow A or B. It is the C that is stressed the most with little resources going into A and B. More recently, the dependence on D (Drugs) has become the norm, resulting in the total disregard of A, B, and C.

The first part of the book discusses the need to rethink how we approach AIDS prevention measures, with a large part speaking of the epidemiology of AIDS throughout the world. The 2nd part outlines the approaches to AIDS prevention in developing countries, notably behavior change, condoms and ARV (antiretroviral) drugs. The largest part of the book is devoted to applying what has been learned in the Western world to the developing countries with success stories in Uganda, Jamaica, and Thailand. Should we promote public behavior change (PBC) more than condoms and drugs? A question that will be debated for many years. This is an excellent book that should be in all academic libraries.

Keywords: Prevention; Developing Countries; International Cooperation
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