Local Women, Global Science

There is evidence that women who live in societies that uphold male privilege--the majority of the worlds women--are at increased risk for HIV infection. In Local Women, Global Science, Karen M. Booth looks closely at the operation of two clinics for sexually transmitted diseases in Nairobi, Kenya, and explores how internationally funded and nationally sanctioned interventions to stop the spread of HIV have focused almost exclusively on the sexual and reproductive behaviors of those who are least able to challenge male power and dominance--working-class and poor women. Moving past the current politics of development, womens health, and AIDS prevention, Booths work enhances our understanding of how globalised and local networks, power relationships, ideologies, and social practices contribute to the current AIDS crisis. This bold and important book reveals conceptual flaws in AIDS prevention policy and will inspire new ideas for dealing with this deadly epidemic in Kenya, Africa, and beyond. Karen M. Booth is Assistant Professor of Womens Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.