Proposed bathhouse ban renews HIV rights controversy

A fresh debate on the rights of HIV-positive people has erupted after China announced a proposed regulation intending to keep them out of public bathhouses.

The proposal was posted online by its drafter, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), on Friday for a month-long public consultation.

The rule requires public bathing places, including bathhouses, spas and foot massage centers, to put up signs barring "people with sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS and infectious skin diseases" in prominent positions.

Facilities that don't comply and fail to make changes could be fined up to 30,000 yuan (4,911 U.S. dollars), it said.

The restriction has drummed up support from many members of the public while exasperating HIV carriers and advocacy groups.

INFECTION FEARS

An online poll that has attracted more than 23,000 respondents as of Tuesday morning showed nearly 73 percent of the respondents applaud the proposal "for the sake of public safety and health."

Only 21 percent of the surveyed netizens opposed the ban, deeming it discriminatory and believing the HIV virus is unlikely to spread under normal conditions in a public bathhouse, according to the poll conducted by the popular web portal Sina.

"I know one can't easily get infected, but it's definitely reasonable to take measures to reduce -- or even better -- completely avoid the risks," said a government employee surnamed Liu in southwest China's Chongqing municipality.