This work presents a bold challenge to the prevailing wisdom of "the global AIDS industry" and offers an alternative framework for understanding what works in HIV. Arguing for a behavior-based approach, the authors make the case that the most effective programs are those that encourage fundamental behavioral changes such as faithfulness, avoidance of concurrent or overlapping sexual partners, delay of age of first sex, and complete recovery from drug addiction. Successful programs are locally based, low cost, low tech, innovative, and built on existing cultural structures. In contrast, they argue that anthropologists and public health practitioners focus on counseling, testing, condoms, and treatment, and impose their Western values, culture, and political ideologies in an attempt to "liberate" non-Western people from sexual repression and homophobia. This book is essential reading for anyone working in HIV/AIDS prevention, and a stimulating introduction to the key controversies and approaches in global health and medical anthropology.

An anthropological approach to AIDS prevention -- Sex, culture, and disease -- How the global AIDS response went wrong -- Refocusing HIV prevention on primary prevention -- Primary prevention in concentrated epidemics -- Facts and myths about HIV prevention in generalized epidemics -- Primary behavior change and HIV decline -- HIV prevention and structural factors -- Gender, marriage, and HIV -- An endogenous response to AIDS -- Where to from here?.