War in the Blood: Sex, Politics and AIDS in Southeast Asia

Effective treatment for HIV and AIDS came in 1996. For sufferers in the developed world, this marked a true watershed moment: the end of the death sentence. But for many in the developing world, including in Southeast Asia, these new treatments remained far out of reach. In his early thirties, following the loss of his partner to an AIDS-related illness, Chris Beyrer wrote the first edition of War in the Blood. Three decades later, having served as president of the International AIDS Society, he believes we have arrived at an extraordinary milestone. For the first time, a patient has been demonstrably cured of HIV, new vaccine trials in Thailand have shown great promise, and the PrEP programme genuinely works. So why are over half of the estimated 38.8 million people living with HIV still not on treatment? War in the Blood is a labour of love, both a celebratory account of Southeast Asia and the story of our failure to protect those most vulnerable the world over – gay men, adolescent girls, sex workers, drug users, and transgender women. Beyrer offers an impassioned plea for our communities and governments – and our own hearts and minds – to stop denying the realities of sex, sexuality, and gender, and to take affirmative action.

Table of Contents:
Preface to the Second Edition Introduction Part I: Countries 1. Coming into the Region 2. Thailand: The Descending Buddha 3. Burma: Going to Myanmar, Being in Burma 4. Cambodia: AIDs and the Torn Society 5. Laos: Travels in the Cold War 6. Malaysia: Ethnicity, Activism and AIDS 7. Vietnam: Harm Reduction in the Balance 8. Yunnan: China's Southeast Asia Part II: People, Risks 9. Women: Wives, Mothers, Daughters 10. The Flesh Trade: Prostitution and Trafficking in ASEAN 11. Military Studies 12. Chasing the Dragon: Heroin and AIDS 13. Tribes: The Virus that Kills the Gods 14. The Displaced: Migrants, Refugees, IDPs and HIV 15. Other Genders: Katoeys, Waria, Hinjras, Toms and Dees 16. Chaai Chuay Chaai: Men Helping Men 17. Prisons and Prisoners 18. Activists Part III: Relativity and Culture 19. Drugs Wars and the War on Drugs 20. Brethren: HIV, Gay Men, and Prevention Equity 21. Medical Ethics, Human Rights, Asian Values 22. The Proper Study of Mankind 23. Conclusion: Condoms or Landmines

About the Author :
Chris Beyrer is the Desmond Tutu Professor of Public Health and Human Rights at Johns Hopkins University, and was formerly President of the International AIDs Society. He has extensive experience in conducting international research and training programmes on HIV/AIDS around the world, and has served as an advisor on HIV prevention to international bodies including the World Bank, the United States Office of AIDs Research, and the Thai Red Cross. His other published works include the edited collection Public Health and Human Rights: Evidence-Based Approaches (2007). Chris Beyrer is the Desmond Tutu Professor of Public Health and Human Rights at Johns Hopkins University, and was formerly President of the International AIDs Society. He has extensive experience in conducting international research and training programmes on HIV/AIDS around the world, and has served as an advisor on HIV prevention to international bodies including the World Bank, the United States Office of AIDs Research, and the Thai Red Cross. His other published works include the edited collection Public Health and Human Rights: Evidence-Based Approaches (2007).

Review :
Part travelogue, part ethnography, with an eye for the details of daily life, Beyrer takes the reader on a journey through the cultural and political contours of contemporary Southeast Asia... skilfully weaves diverse voices into a broad tapestry which includes the political economy of HIV... This informal, engaging book will appeal to a wide audience. Excellent... hard-hitting and clear-sighted... A first-rate book, both scientifically based and written in terms the lay reader can understand. Beyrer has an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of the global HIV epidemic that this book so richly describes. More than any other Western researcher, he understands the cultural and political factors that impact local epidemics. A Powerful testimony to the capacity to unite care with practical action... there is no other equally comprehensive account to match it of the travels of HIV infection through the peoples and landscapes of Asia. As timely and relevant today as it was when it was first published, telling a deeply personal account of the AIDS epidemic and the people still being left behind. Offers honest insights on sex between men, drug use, sex work, and transgender people in Southeast Asia. Chris Beyrer offers pragmatic solutions to inspire a new generation of leaders. Beyrer writes with the rigour of an outstanding scientist, and the compassion and energy of a tireless advocate.