At risk: Indian sexual politics and the global AIDS crisis.

Gowri Vijayakumar's book, "At Risk: Indian Sexual Politics and the Global AIDS Crisis," provides an ethnographic account of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in India and its impact on sex workers, queer individuals, and transgender activists. The book explores how AIDS and ideas of sexuality arrived in India during globalization and became a focal point for constructing differences based on race, caste, gender, and class. It examines the experiences of the sexually marginalized and the ways in which HIV prevention programs reshaped their lives. The book also discusses the shift in India's response to the crisis from criminalization and marginalization to inclusion and engagement with high-risk groups. The author highlights the influence of colonial and postcolonial policies on containing deviant sexuality and the unintended outcomes of these policies. The book also explores the collaboration between India and Africa in managing the epidemic and how it helped India gain recognition in the global AIDS field. Overall, the book offers valuable insights into the intersection of sexual politics, public health, and social inequality in India. [Extracted from the article]