Becherg Z; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 1996 Jul 7-12; 11: 343 (abstract no. Th.C.4570).

Beijing, P.R. China. Fax: 86-010-4210288.

Issues: China is a vast country with a very large population that is widely dispersed with varying levels of education and, for many, little or no access to education about HIV/AIDS. With increasing wealth and mobility and a concomitant rise in the number of commercial sex workers and injection drug users it is vital to provide a confidential, rapid and responsive source of information on HIV/AIDS and its prevention to the entire population. The National Health Education Institute of China (HEIC) set up a telephone hotline to fulfil this mandate. Description of Project: In April 1992, the HEIC established the first HIV/AIDS hotline in China. A computer database was set up to record demographic and other data (time and day of calls, number of calls per day, age of callers, marital status and sexual orientation, level of education, occupation, source of information about the hotline, geographic origin of calls as well as local origin [home, workplace, etc.], types of enquiries or concerns). Most hotline counsellors are health care workers. All are volunteers and all were given specific training before starting work. The training was based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National AIDS Hotline Training Bulletin and WHO/GPA documents. The hotline was advertised widely in print media, on television and radio. Results: Two-thirds of calls came from the Beijing area. More than 85% of callers were male, and about 85% were 18-34 yrs old. Approximately half were married, more than 40% were homosexual or bisexual, more than 80% were white-collar workers or students and nearly all had middle school or higher education. The overwhelming majority called for the first time and their major concerns were about AIDS (62%), STDs (10%) and homosexuality (21%). Lessons Learned: Most callers are well-educated white-collar workers residing in regions of rapid economic growth with fairly open contact with the outside world and good access to a telephone. These callers described risky behaviour for HIV infection and the counsellors were able to provide them with useful practical information. However, the less literate workers, particularly in the countryside, were not using the hotline, even though they may be at risk of HIV infection. The data obtained from this study will allow us to target these populations more effectively, extend the hotline network throughout the country, and to train counsellors to deal with calls in a more targeted manner.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
• China
• Counseling
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Health Education
• Hotlines
• Male
• Mass Media
• Population
• Research
• Sexual Behavior
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Teaching
• education

Other ID:

• 96924916

UI: 102220815

From Meeting Abstracts