Fight against AIDS

Much needs to be done to check the spread of HIV/AIDS despite the efforts that have been made to prevent the spread of the disease and prolong the life expectancy of AIDS patients. This is the message we get on the 22nd World AIDS Day that falls today.

Latest statistics from the Ministry of Health show that more than 50,000 Chinese were infected with HIV last year alone. That means 140 people became new HIV carriers each day in 2008. The total number of reported HIV patients and people living with HIV was more than nearly 320,000 by the end of October.

The high death toll from AIDS, of more than 14,000 in slightly more than a year, suggests that the we are on the high point of the curve when most AIDS patients who were infected a decade ago or even earlier are dying now. This should not pour cold water on our efforts to prolong the life expectancy of those who were infected with the virus later. The new drugs we have developed have made it possible for such patients to live longer.

What is noteworthy is the fact that the number of infections caused by sex between people of same gender has increased by a dramatic margin to 32.5 percent of all infections. The message is that more attention must be paid to AIDS prevention for this particular group of people by the government and social groups.

Sex between men was reported to be the primary reason for the spread of the virus rather than drug abuse or blood transfusions last year. The new development points to changes in Chinese people's values about sex, but at the same time should put us on alert that the number of people infected with the virus might be much higher than we imagine.

The rise in the number of AIDS patients among homosexuals might well be because many more are having blood tests in hospitals than before. It is estimated that the actual number of HIV carriers in the country might be at around 800,000 or higher because strong discrimination in society has deterred many from having tests for the disease in hospitals.

There is no exact figure on the total number of homosexuals in the country. Many keep their orientation a secret, marry and have children. This points to the danger that they may pass the virus to their wives if they are infected.

So now we face an uphill battle not just to raise awareness on discrimination against AIDS patients, but also to fight against people's traditional bias against homosexuals. Only when homosexuals are not discriminated against and they themselves become frank about their sexual orientation will the country be relieved of the anxiety that they may become a major source of infections.

Yunnan province in Southwest China has set a good example by financing a pub for homosexuals, which opens in Dali today. It is a manifestation that homosexuals are accepted and the government wants to help them fight the threat of HIV/AIDS.