Robert Klitzman

"An in-depth look at the motivations, beliefs, and practices of those who must decide to get tested and if positive, whether or not to disclose, and when... Mortal Secrets delivers a powerful message using the voices of those most affected."

"A useful resource for both clinicians and laypersons, and I recommend it as a highly accessible and expertly written book."


"In this pioneering work, Bayer and Klitzman shed light not only on the complex and poorly understood world of communicating about HIV but also on the realities of morality as it is lived in the real world of frail and fallible human beings trying to talk about the most intimate matters imaginable. It is easy to advise our children and one another to always tell the truth. As Mortal Secrets reveals, that injunction can be and is applied in a variety of ways and with great nuance when the subjects at hand are sex, infection, and the transmission of disease. This study shows in ways poignant and telling that being ethical, while desirable, is neither simple nor easy."