HIV Pioneers – Lives Lost, Careers Changed, and Survival - Softcover

Wechsberg, Wendee M.; Curran, James W.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1421425726 ISBN 13: 9781421425726

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2018

Synopsis

Tremendous strides have been made in the prevention and treatment of HIV since the disease first appeared in the 1980s. But because many of the people who studied and battled the virus in those early days are now gone, firsthand accounts are at risk of being lost. In HIV Pioneers, Wendee M. Wechsberg collects 29 "first stories" from the outset of the AIDS epidemic. These moving personal narratives and critical historical essays not only shed light on the experiences of global health pioneers, prominent scientists, and HIV survivors, but also preserve valuable lessons for managing the risk and impact of future epidemics.

With unprecedented access to many key actors in the fight against AIDS and HIV, Wechsberg brings to life the harrowing reality of those early days of the epidemic. The book captures the experiences of those still working diligently and innovatively in the field, elevating the voices of doctors, scientists, and government bureaucrats alongside those of survivors and their loved ones. Focusing on the impact that the epidemic had on careers, pieces also show how governments responded to HIV, how research agendas were developed, and how AIDS service agencies and case management evolved.

Illuminating the multiple facets of the HIV epidemic, both in the United States and across the globe, HIV Pioneers is a touching and inspirational look into the ongoing fight against HIV.

Contributors: Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Salim S. Abdool Karim, Lynda Arnold, Anne Jeanene Bengoa, Robert E. Booth, Barry S. Brown, Thomas Coates, Francine Cournos, James W. Curran, Don C. Des Jarlais, Jeffrey D. Fisher, William A. Fisher, Samuel R. Friedman, Robert C. Gallo, Mary Guinan, Gibbie Harris, Warren W. Hewitt Jr., Susan M. Kegeles, Rayford Kytle, Bishop Stacey S. Latimer, Robert Love, Duane C. McBride, Clyde B. McCoy, Carmen Morris, Willo Pequegnat, Mary Jane Rotheram-Borus, Jeffrey Samet, David Serwadda, Lorraine Sherr, James L. Sorensen, Jack B. Stein, Charles van der Horst, Wendee M. Wechsberg, Wayne Wiebel, William A. Zule

About this title

Review

"Where were you in 1981? When did you first learn of AIDS? For many of us involved in public health, healthcare, or research, the answer to those questions marks a personal and professional turning point. This book captures the life-changing experiences from dozens of those who were and remain deeply committed to battling the global HIV pandemic. Wendee Wechsberg has been there from the start, and here she has expertly captured the varied, compelling, and historically significant stories of many HIV pioneers."

(James W. Curran, Emory Center for AIDS Research)

"HIV Pioneers provides a critical, multifaceted perspective on many of the ways that the epidemic challenged so many parts of our society. The responses to the epidemic recorded here tell an important story that will be invaluable as we confront future threats. A moving and essential addition to the history of our efforts in confronting the epidemic."

(Paul A. Volberding, MD, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine)

"A unique and engaging magnum opus, based on numerous first-hand accounts of the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Wechsberg has assembled many of the key players to create a verbal AIDS quilt, a tapestry rich in poignancy, wisdom, sadness, and hope."

(Kenneth H. Mayer, MD, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health)

"This quietly powerful book provides an intimate, nuanced, and historical memoir of the early challenges of the HIV pandemic through the stories and personal experiences of front-line clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and people living with HIV. Their voices remain timely and relevant in confronting our current dangerous era of denial and despair."

(Gerald Friedland, MD, Professor Emeritus, Yale School of Medicine)

"Anyone interested in science, social history, communicable diseases or epidemiology would benefit from reading this topical, fascinating and inspirational book."

(Fay Hartley British Society for the History of Medicine)

"I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in HIV epidemiology, especially if they are keen to contribute to the broad-based scientific progress and the well-being of the population they are attempting to benefit."

(David Solomon, Anglia Ruskin University Nursing Times)

Book Description

A moving collection of firsthand accounts of the HIV epidemic.

About this edition

• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1421425726
• ISBN 13: 9781421425726
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272