Excellent Book on Gay Men's Health

Men Like Us, "the GMHC complete guide to gay men's sexual, physical, and emotional well-being" written by the Gay Men's Health Crisis and Daniel Wolfe (Ballentine Books, April 2000, paperback 656 pages, $24.95--hard cover also available) deals with health, sex, people, communication, relationships, and spirituality; almost everyone will learn something from this book. It includes humorous comments as well as serious information, and is particularly valuable for the quotes and sidebars where people tell what is actually going on in their lives.

From the Introduction: "Why would GMHC--an AIDS organization--write a book as broad as this one? Because nearly two decades of experience with gay men have shown that issues raised by HIV are much bigger than condoms to stop the virus or pills to treat it. For gay men, effective HIV prevention and treatment has meant grappling with the full scope of issues raised by how we live and love: how we think about ourselves and others, sexual communication, relationships, spirituality, and aging. These pages try to communicate some of that wisdom, and recognize how important it is to build on it as the lives of gay men with HIV--and the lives of gay men who don't have the virus--stretch into the new millennium."

Only part of one chapter is on HIV treatment--which is fortunate because treatment information changes rapidly, so these pages will soon be obsolete. The rest of the book will have a longer life.

Major chapter headings [the additions in brackets are ours]:

The Anatomy of Pleasure

Sex Acts and Facts

Two to Tango: Cruising, Coupling, and Communication

Sex Troubles

Skin Deep [exercise, skin care, hair care, oral health and hygiene]

You Are What You Eat (and Drink and Smoke and Snort and Shoot)

What's Up, Doc? [finding a doctor, doctor/patient relationships, "five tests and vaccines no gay man should go without," HIV testing, alternative and complementary medicines, health insurance, and managed care]

Coming of Age

Are You Positive? Treating HIV

Coping with Illness

Of Sound Mind

We Are Family: Friends, Long-Term Partners, and the Rest of the Clan

Spirituality and Community

Appendix A: Help, I Need Somebody [referrals]

Appendix B: Transgender, Transvestite, and Intersex Resources

Appendix C: Citations and References

Men Like Us can be ordered through bookstores, or purchased from online booksellers such as www.amazon.com or www.barnsandnoble.com; both currently charge $19.96 for the paperback edition.