A university in Beijing has become a distribution site for free HIV test kits, helping students to determine their HIV status in a swift and confidential way. Experts hailed the initiative, noting that it can curb the disease among student populations, as well as raise young people's awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention.
The prevention campaign was jointly launched by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control of Beijing's Chaoyang district and Communication University of China. The university placed 200 HIV test kits in public toilets around the campus, offering students an easy and foolproof way to perform a preliminary HIV screening. Students were encouraged to utilize the kits by sending their urine samples to an appointed hospital and check their test results online.
"We have already distributed 25 test kits, which are quite popular among the students. We hope the kits remind them to seek treatment as soon as possible if they are infected," a university employee told Beijing Youth Daily, adding that four samples had been sent back to the hospital as of Nov. 17, which all showed negative results.
"It's not new to see free condoms distributed at universities, but the distribution of HIV test kits is unprecedented. [The kits] can improve our understanding and awareness of the disease," said a junior student from the university.
HIV infections among students are on the rise nationwide. Beijing identified over 3,000 people infected with HIV/AIDS from January to October 2015; more than 100 of those carriers were students. The disease was largely spread through homosexual sexual contact, Beijing Youth Daily reported.
Beijing authorities have been working hard on HIV prevention among students. In 2015, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning introduced an HIV prevention program, which included the installation of condom vending machines in all Beijing universities and an HIV prevention class for all freshmen.
"The HIV test kit serves as a preliminary screening, quickly providing results. But the test kit cannot replace professional HIV tests, and those who obtain positive result from the test kit should go to the hospital for a more extensive medical check," said Xiao Jiang, a doctor from Beijing Ditan Hospital.
