College gays new target in AIDS fight(2)

Awareness of sexual safety is lacking as many gays do not know HIV infection is common among the group, said Xu.

In another survey of 916 students -- 311 male and 605 female -- at a university in the southwestern municipality of Chongqing, only 50 percent of the students knew that the use of condoms during sex and avoiding shared needles during drug use could prevent AIDS.

Among the 916 students, 53 reported a history of sexual behavior, two said they engaged in homosexual behavior, and nine had taken HIV tests.

HIV tests among college students are still quite rare. Disease control authorities have discovered some infection cases accidentally when screening voluntary blood donations.

Given the HIV situation in colleges, whether to carry out compulsory HIV tests or not has raised controversy.

In a recent college debate contest in Guangzhou, the team arguing against compulsory testing said it meant treating students like drug users and sex workers, which would lead to discrimination against this highly educated group.

The team arguing in favor of compulsory testing said it was impossible to know the exact HIV/AIDS situation among college students simply through voluntary tests, and people should just face up to the disease.

On China's popular online forum Tianya.cn, a college student from Chongqing posted a true story about his HIV infection in August 2011, calling for more education on safe sexual behavior and AIDS prevention and treatment for college students.

"Nothing is more fearful than ignorance," said the man in his early 20s. "No one told me such a thing would happen to me ... I only want more attention to be given to AIDS prevention and treatment through my experience."

SOCIAL INTERVENTION

Intervention should be carried out among college students in terms of AIDS prevention, although compulsory tests are not feasible due to lack of legal support, according to Wang Ming.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have played a key role in HIV/AIDS outreach and services.

HIV carriers welcome services from NGOs, as many NGOs have been founded by HIV carriers themselves. NGOs have easier access to special social groups, including gays, lesbians and sex workers, who are difficult for government organizations to reach.

In Guangzhou, Friendsteam was set up in 2006 to carry out AIDS education projects for college students.

Chen Du, founder of the organization, said sex education in colleges lags behind, and many students from rural areas know little about AIDS.

Education and health resources have not been effectively combined in AIDS prevention, he said.

Though many free tests target male homosexuals, heterosexual transmission should also not be ignored, as some male students buy sexual services, according to Chen.

Friendsteam organizes speeches, arts exhibitions, parties, classes and seminars and invites gays to participate in these events as part of its AIDS prevention efforts.

The Chongqing Rainbow Working Group and its website, China Rainbow Online, were founded in 2003 and 2005, respectively, to offer care and help for gays, lesbians, and sex workers in AIDS prevention.

AIDS prevention and sexual health knowledge should be taught in classes, and automatic condom-selling machines should be installed on college campuses, some students suggested.

Controlling the transmission of the HIV virus among MSMs will be a key task in Guangzhou's plan to fight AIDS, and more social organizations will be encouraged to join, according to Tang.