An orthodoxy has crept into much of the medical epidemiologic and political thinking about the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome aids it goes something like this people living with aids are not responsible for their affliction anonymous testing for the human immunodeficiency virus hiv. Neither liberal nor conservative yet on the whole skeptical about governmental involvement in the epidemic this book is certain to be controversial but its injection of hard headed economic thinking into the aids debate is long overdue although private choices and public health is accessible to the interested general reader it will also capture the attention of economists especially those involved in health issues epidemiologists public health officials and specialists in sexual . Private choices and public health the aids epidemic in an economic perspective authors tomas j philipson richard a posner circuit judge u s court of appeals for the seventh circuit and. Private choices and public health the aids epidemic in an economic perspective like other dangerous but pleasurable activities such as downhill skiing and mountain climbing engaging in unprotected sex implicitly involves the weighing of costs and benefits. Trades aids and the publics health the limits of economic analysis review of private choices and public health the aids epidemic in an economic perspective by tomas j philipson richard a posner