 | |
| Author | Gabriel Rotello |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | HIV/AIDS |
| Publisher | Dutton |
Publication date | 1997 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-525-94164-9 |
| OCLC | 35961466 |
| 362.1/969792/0086642 21 | |
| LC Class | RA644.A25 R68 1997 |
Sexual Ecology: AIDS and the Destiny of Gay Men is a 1997 book by gay activist Gabriel Rotello, who discusses why HIV has continued to infect large numbers of gay men despite the widespread use of condoms and why a number of experts believe that new HIV infections will disproportionately affect gay men in the future. Rotello examines the origins and timeline of the AIDS epidemic, drawing on epidemiology, sociology, gay history, and ecology. His conclusion is that gay men need to reduce their number of partners and increase condom use to bring the infection rate down. Rotello's central argument derives from the epidemiological concept that sexually-transmitted epidemics are the result of three factors, sometimes called the Triad of Risk: the "infectivity" of a sexually transmitted disease (STD), or how easily it spreads; the "prevalence" of that STD in a particular group, and 3. the ‘contact rate,’ or the average number of sexual partners that people have within a particular group.
Rotello writes that gay men significantly lowered the first leg of the triad (infectivity) with condom use, but condoms alone were unable to quell the epidemic because the second leg of the triad (prevalence) was already so high. Gay men needed to address the third leg of the triad: the contact rate. According to Rotello, lowering the contact rate while continuing to emphasize condoms might provide enough additional "room for error" to bring new infections below the epidemic's tipping point.[1]
Sexual Ecology was considered a major contribution to AIDS discourse, and became a gay bestseller. New Scientist called it " ... a remarkable book ... a breath of fresh air in the growing litany about the AIDS epidemic."[2] The New York Times called the book "trenchant" and "brave", saying that it "merits the attention of a broad audience";[3] The Boston Globe described it as " ... the Silent Spring of the AIDS epidemic."[4] It was also praised by the LGBT community. For The Nation, gay historian Martin Duberman called Sexual Ecology " ... the most important book about gay men and AIDS since And the Band Played On. And it is far better."[5]
The book was criticized by others in the gay community for arguing that multiple partners played a significant role in the etiology and longevity of the gay AIDS epidemic and that, with condom use, partner reduction was key to containing the epidemic. In The Village Voice, Mark Schoofs called Sexual Ecology "toxic" and "an ugly distortion of gay life."[6] AIDS activist Jim Eigo compared Rotello to right-wingers such as Pat Buchanan and Jesse Helms, writing that he "scapegoats and stigmatizes those of us who engage in multipartnerism."[7] The Sex Panic! activist organization was formed in part to combat the message of Sexual Ecology, accusing Rotello and other writers the group called "gay neo-cons" (particularly Michelangelo Signorile, Larry Kramer, and Andrew Sullivan) of betraying gay sexual freedom.
- ^ Sexual Ecology, p. 206.
- ^ "New Scientist review".
- ^ "NY Times review". The New York Times.
- ^ "Boston Globe review".
- ^ "Duberman review The Nation". Archived from the original on 2015-03-29.
- ^ "Schoofs review".
- ^ "Jim Eigo critique".