11/13/14
H399
The Invisible Cure The Invisible Cure was written by Helen Epstein in 2007. The book is about Helen’s research in Africa about the HIV/AIDS infection, and why we are losing the fight against AIDS. It goes through Helen’s experience in Africa and the Ugandans ability to face the roaring epidemic.
The story starts out telling us about her backstory and how she used to research insects, she then went to a lecture about HIV and it changed the type of research she wanted to do. Helen flies to Uganda and emerges herself in the search of a vaccine to AIDS. Within a few months of arriving, Ugandans had driven down the rate of infection through means that are both controversial and misunderstood. Epstein wrote, “I had felt like a pilgrim exploring a place where a miracle was said to have occurred long ago. Everyone had a different story about it and half the evidence was missing.” This statement reveals the mystery behind the HIV epidemic, and how it evolves and becomes resistant to the cocktail drugs. Helen makes it clear that the drugs alone will never save Africa. The health care infrastructure is lacking, too many other threatening diseases. However, the experts think that there are still possibilities of a vaccine. What the real “cure” is to have dramatic behavioral changes and prevent new infections.
Epstein’s idea to stop the rate of infection is to increase the number of monogamous relationships. During her research she noticed a trend of the natives being with multiple partners at the same time. This would reduce the spread of the infection through a group. It was found that the prevention programs preferred the simplicity and practicality of the Ugandan efforts, which was less direct than a heavy Westernized approach. Epstein portrayed the Western efforts as misguided and in well-meaning. The money would often bypass the individuals who