The tragedies arising from HIV and AIDS are problems faced on every continent in the world. Case studies of carefully selected countries, representative of every region of the world, are presented in this unique volume. Students, teachers, and researchers can make cross-cultural comparisons to discover how the problem is viewed in different countries, how the problem is changing, what kinds of research is being conducted worldwide to find appropriate interventions for the problem and other details of how this disease affects different societies.

Each chapter is divided into similar subsections including the history of HIV and AIDS, the prevalence of HIV and AIDS, public and political views of the problem, and preventative measures. Readers can choose one or more of these aspects and compare how each differs from country to country. Here they will find that perceptions of the problem and the perceptions of degree to which people are taking preventative measures against the disease does not always reflect the reality. This worldview will help students and scholars to think critically about how building a better understanding of how a specific social issue is viewed and handled worldwide can help build a better world community.

KAREN MCELRATH is a reader in Sociology and Social Policy, Queen's University, Belfast.