AIDS and the Body Politic: Biomedicine and Sexual Difference (Environmental Politics)

Catherine Waldby's informative study draws on feminist theory, cultural studies, the philosophy of science and gay and lesbian studies to problematise the factual scientific discourse about AIDS and interpret it as a political discourse. Waldby argues that much AIDS discourse relies on an implicit and unconscious equation between sexual health and heterosexual masculinity. In this equation between women, bisexual and gay men are the targets of preventative programmes, while heterosexual men tend to remain unaddressed by such programmes.

Catherine Waldby currently teaches in the Communications and Cultural Studies programme and the Women’s Studies programme at Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia.