Amores Locos y Los Peligros del Contagio

Aburto Iniesta, the editor of POZ en Espa$ol, a magazine about living with AIDS, offers an informed and comprehensive guide to the disease. He gears it toward Hispanic immigrants who have little or no access to such information in their home countries and struggle to find it in their new home. Topics in the convenient index range from what AIDS is and how it is transmitted to existing treatments and how to choose the right doctor. The author takes an open-minded approach to sexuality and sexual practices and talks about cultural obstacles, such as machismo, that may hinder his audience's ability to prevent infection and deal with the disease. He also supplies an extensive list of U.S. and Puerto Rico-based organizations (with URLs, addresses, and phone numbers) that provide AIDS-related services, including specific associations for women, prisoners, intravenous drug users, and Spanish speakers. Unfortunately, he does not give enough information about payment methods and options. He assumes that his audience has access to health benefits and AIDS treatments when the sad reality is that many Hispanic immigrants lack the money or the proper legal documents to seek treatment for the disease effectively. Nonetheless, there is little available literature on this subject that targets this audience, and this book will give many people an important place to start. Recommended for all bookstores and public libraries. Carmen Ospina, ""Cr!ticas""