ABSTRACT
It has been a daunting task to bring together in one volume a selection of articles depicting the cultural, social, political and scientific debates which have characterised the HIV epidemic in Germany. In such a limited space it was impossible to include contributions from all the women and men who have shaped the discourse over the years. We believe we have succeeded, however, in assembling a collection of writing which offers an international readership insight into many of the primary issues raised by AIDS in Germany. In selecting the themes and authors for this book we were guided by two questions: what have been the major topics in Germany’s attempt to manage the epidemic, and what has been uniquely or characteristically German in the approaches taken? The former question led us to opt for a wide range of authors and subjects so as to present the many facets of HIV in this country. The latter question helped us to focus on aspects which to this point have not been accessible to the larger international audience, given that the discussion has taken place predominantly in German. The result is the only overview of HIV and AIDS in Germany available in English, offering an ideal starting point for those interested in the subject.
