HIV Infection - The Facts You Need to Know / Book Review

For the most part, this book would be a helpful text for most anyone wanting to learn more about HIV. However, some of the information does not hold up well over time and will become dated rather quickly.

HIV Infection: The Facts You Need to Know

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 author frequently using the term "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 encourage the reader to take personal responsibility to eliminate or reduce their own risk of HIV transmission. It describes prevention options ranging from abstinence from sexual intercourse and drug use to risk reduction behaviors involving use of male and female condoms. It also includes information regarding 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.

Sandwiched between the Introduction and Chapter 8 are seven chapters that provide a clear and concise overview of the history of the epidemic and how it compares to other known epidemics. Information on 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 are also covered. 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 those who have died of AIDS. The book is enhanced by the inclusion of:

• Source Notes that provide documentation to support the content.
• A lengthy Glossary
• For Further Information that lists written, visual, and electronic media sources to maintain one's current knowledge about HIV/AIDS.

This book tells the truth about HIV/AIDS and advocates for each individual to take personal responsibility in order to stop the epidemic. And it does so without evoking the specter of fear. The book's final section, For Further Information, is a valuable resource for teachers, peer educators, students, and libraries because it captures "what was" and "what is" clearly and concisely.