Arguing for a behavior-based approach, Green and Ruark make the case that the most effective AIDS programs are those that encourage fundamental behavioral changes such as abstinence, delay of sex, faithfulness, and cessation of injection drug use.

HIV is spreading rapidly, and effective treatments continue to elude science. Preventive interventions are now our best defense against the epidemicâ€"but they require a clear understanding of the behavioral and mental health aspects of HIV infection and AIDS. AIDS and Behavior provides an update of what investigators in the biobehavioral, psychological, and social sciences have discovered recently about those aspects of the disease and offers specific recommendations for research directions and priorities. This volume candidly discusses the sexual and drug-use behaviors that promote transmission of HIV and reports on the latest efforts to monitor the epidemic in its social contexts. The committee reviews new findings on how and why risky behaviors occur and efforts to develop strategies for changing such behaviors. The volume presents findings on the disease's progression and on the psychosocial impacts of HIV and AIDS, with a view toward intervention and improved caregiving. AIDS and Behavior also evaluates the status of behavioral and prevention aspects of AIDS research at the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The volume presents background on the three institutes; their recent reorganization; their research budgets, programs, and priorities; and other important details. The committee offers specific recommendations for the institutes concerning the balance between biomedical and behavioral investigations, adequacy of administrative structures, and other research management issues. Anyone interested in the continuing quest for new knowledge on preventing HIV and AIDS will want to own this book: policymakers, researchers, research administrators, public health professionals, psychologists, AIDS advocates and service providers, faculty, and students.

Sexual Cultures and Migration in the Era of AIDS is the first demographic anthropological study of what happens to sexual behaviour and the rules of risk-taking in sexual encounters when people migrate from countryside to city, from one city to another, or from one country to another culture. It represents a milestone in the study of cross-cultural sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases. At the foreground of the study are commercial sex and prostitution, sexual tourism, heterosexual marriage and social pressure, and homosexuality and bisexuality in emerging sexual cultures. The volume brings together quantitative and qualitative case studies by an international panel of anthropologists, demographers, and sociologists aimed at better understanding the impact of human movement and mobility on sexual change and fertility.

As news headlines report staggering numbers of people infected with HIV or AIDS across the globe and as stereotypes of typical AIDS patients become less and less specific to particular sexual orientations and ethnic backgrounds, the AIDS pandemic shows little sign of relenting. AIDS crosses geopolitical and social barriers, and social and behavioral scientists are confronted with the new challenge of developing scientific inquiry and corresponding interventions around participatory, community-based, and community-focused methods. These interventions are increasingly targeting the contextual influences on individual behavior, such as peer groups, social networks and support systems, and community norms. Community-level interventions also draw on local resources and are respectful of sociocultural circumstances and traditions. This book articulates how the social and behavioral sciences can respond to HIV/AIDS. It is written for all who have a stake in AIDS research, stimulating discussion and debate about the natures of community research and intervention broadly across such disciplines as public health, community health education, urban planning, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and philosophy of science. The book proposes alternative perspectives on means of ascertaining knowledge about the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the inclusion of community collaboration in interventions.

Three decades into the HIV pandemic, the goals remain clear: reduce the number of infections,improve the health outcomes of those who are infected, and eliminate disparities in care. And one observation continues to gain credence: families are a powerful resource in preventing, adapting to, and coping with HIV. Recognizing their complex role as educators, mentors, and caregivers, Family and HIV/AIDS assembles a wealth of findings from successful prevention and intervention strategies and provides models for translating evidence into effective real-world practice. Chapters spotlight the differing roles of mothers and fathers in prevention efforts, clarify the need for family/community collaborations, and examine core issues of culture,ethnicity, gender, and diagnosis (e.g., minority families, adolescents with psychological disorders). Throughout, risk reduction and health promotion are shown as a viable public health strategy A reference with considerable utility across the health, mental health, and related disciplines,Family and HIV/AIDS will be a go-to resource for practitioners working with families, researchers studying at-risk populations, administrators seeking to create new (or evaluate existing)prevention and care programs, and policymakers involved in funding such programs.

Several socio-economic, ethical, legal, political and cultural issues have arisen because of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This anthology discusses the cultural ramifications that undermine HIV/AIDS education through the contributions of the following scholars: Caroline Blair, David Ojakaa, S.A. Ochola, Dishon Gogi, Marietta Federici-LaFarge, Frank Machlica, Davidson C. Umeh, Gerjo Kok, Harm J. Hospers, John B.F. De Wit, Lynn Morrison, Sepali Guruge, Kabahenda Nyakabwa, Jerome Okafor, Tim Rodgers, Howard Stevenson, Helen M. Rupp, Minakshi Tikoo, Charles B.U. Uwakwe, Ralph DiClemente, Gina M. Wingood, Nora K. Bell, Ifeanyi Emenike and Gust A. Yep. They discussed cultural implications and specific HIV / AIDS education strategies for women, men, adolescents, gays, people living with HIV/AIDS in the following communities: American-Indian, African-American, Asian-American, White-American, Kenyan, Ugandan, Nigerian, Indian, Dutch and athletes. This book will be of great significance to students and scholars in anthropology, medicine, nursing, psychology, health, education, sociology, and women's studies. The authors provide much insight into community dynamics, social relationships and group norms which are important in the development of effective education programs for HIV/AIDS.