HIV Infection: The Facts you Need to Know
by Kenneth Packer

Publisher:  Franklin Incorporated
ISBN:  0531113337

Are you a teacher or peer educator looking for a readable, succinct book about the nature, transmission, and prevention of HIV/AIDS? Are you looking for a book that is designed to stimulate teens and young adults to take personal responsibility for stemming the HIV/AIDS epidemic? Are you someone who is looking for a book that will provoke thoughtful consideration about your own risk of HIV infection and how to reduce that risk? If you've answered "YES" to any of these questions, then Kenneth Packer's latest book, HIV Infection, The Facts You Need To Know, is just what you need. The INTRODUCTION begins on a personal note with the frequent use of "you." It concludes with a self-assessment quiz designed to help the reader determine his or her personal level of risk. Chapter 8, PREVENTION, continues this theme, asking thought provoking questions designed to stimulate the reader to take personal responsibility to eliminate or reduce the risk of HIV transmission. It describes the options from abstinence from sexual intercourse and drug use to risk reduction behaviors involving use of male and female condoms and cleaning injectable drug paraphernalia. Furthermore, it includes diagrams and descriptions on how to practice these skills as well as how to refute the common lines individuals often use to pressure another person to engage in risky behavior. These two sections clearly meet the criteria for functional knowledge, i.e., the knowledge one needs to keep oneself safe from infection. Sandwiched between the INTRODUCTION and Chapter 8 are seven chapters that provide a clear and concise overview of the history of the epidemic which is compared to other known epidemics, the nature of HIV, including its tendency to mutate, methods of transmission, its impact on the immune system, signs and symptoms of infection, diagnostic procedures, disease progression, treatment options, and side effects of treatment. The narrative is effectively augmented by numerous graphics and charts which display information in an easy to read format. In Chapter 9, a 26 year old woman, Yvette, tells her personal story while Chapter 10, REMEMBER THEIR NAMES, gives a complete description on how to become involved in making a quilt to remember someone who died of AIDS. The book is enhanced by the inclusion of: 1) SOURCE NOTES that provide documentation to support the content; 2) a lengthy GLOSSARY, and 3) FOR FURTHER INFORMATION that lists written, visual, and electronic media sources to maintain one's current knowledge about HIV/AIDS. This book maintains a delicate balance between telling the truth about HIV/AIDS and advocating for each individual to take personal responsibility to stop the epidemic. And it does so without evoking the specter of fear. This is no mean accomplishment, especially in an era where fear is often used to motivate behavior change. The challenge is to stay current with "what is" especially as it relates to the nature of the disease, which involves its impact on the system, treatment modalities, social issues related to the complexities of behavior change, and management of chronic HIV infection in both children and adults. The book's final section, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, will be very useful in this respect. It is a valuable resource for teachers, peer educators, students, and libraries because it captures "what was" and "what is" clearly and concisely. The INTRODUCTION and Chapter 8, PREVENTION, alone make this book worth the investment.

Mark Cichocki, your Guide for AIDS/HIV