Condom use still low in high risk group
Men who have sex with men (MSM) account for an increasing share of new AIDS transmissions in China, according to data released by major cities in advance of World Aids Day on Tuesday.
About 96 percent of new HIV infections in Beijing in 2015 were transmitted through sex, and 74 percent of new cases occurred through MSM, Xie Hui, director of the Disease Control and Prevention Department of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, told the Global Times on Monday.
In Shanghai, 66 percent of sexually transmitted infections of HIV in 2015 took place through MSM, Shanghai-based news site eastday.com reported on Monday.
The number in Hunan Province is 70 percent, the China Youth Daily reported.
Wang Lu, an official with the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, said in an interview with the National Health and Family Planning Commission on Thursday that MSM is the major target group for the prevention and control of the spread of AIDS.
Another official with the center who asked to remain anonymous told the Global Times on Monday that publicity about precautions against HIV transmission - a major part of efforts to curb the virus's spread - faces many difficulties.
The official said that the number of gay men the center can reach is limited and noted that these men seldom use condoms despite high awareness of the importance of condoms.
Xie explained that although 96 percent of gay people know using a condom will keep them from getting infected, only 60 percent will actually use a condom in sexual intercourse.
In many cases, gay people's decisions about sexual behavior are sudden or hurried, and the use of a condom seldom occurs to them under such conditions, Chen Zihuang, a staffer at China's largest gay information website danlan.org, told the Global Times.
"I never expected that I would get infected, and it's weird to ask whether you are an AIDS patient before having sex," a 17 year-old infected through sex with his ex-boyfriend told the Global Times.
Chen added that maintaining gay relationships can be difficult in China, and some gay people view not wearing condoms as a sign of trust.
"Our efforts to promote safe sex at universities are often refused by school authorities," said Chen.
