ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book on sex and sexual behaviour were hard to find, and when they could be located, they were either encased in plain brown covers or had to be unlocked from the librarian's cupboards, or obtained through specialist mail-order suppliers. A certain legitimacy became attached to research into the determinants of sexual behaviour and it change, at least when it was couched in terms of knowledge, attitudes and their behavioural correlates. Magazines with sexual content were likewise placed on top shelf or were available under the counter in newsagents and stores, being viewed as a specialist interest, and not relevant to the majority. In Latin America, particularly, concern for greater openness and democracy in countries such as Brazil, throws off the difficult legacy of military dictatorship, gave rise to vibrant forms of HIV-related activism alongside new demands for sexual and reproductive health and rights.
