Xu H, Zhang J, Anderson FA, Xu X, Chu T; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 2000 Jul 9-14; 13: abstract no. TuPeC3348.
H. Xu, BEIJING, 100013, P.R. CHINA, China, Tel.: +86-10 642 250 73, Fax: +86-10 642 250 72, E-mail: xuhua@public.bta.net.cn
Issues: Heterosexual transmission has become the dominant mode of HIV transmission worldwide. In China, however, heterosexual transmission accounts for only 6.6 percent of HIV prevalence. Our recent research indicates that this situation is changing. The rate of heterosexual transmission in China is, indeed, markedly increasing. In the future, it will become the main mode of transmission, and will greatly increase HIV prevalence in China. Description: Several risk factors related to heterosexual transmission in China are increasing. 1) Reported cases of STD have been increasing since the beginning of the 1980s. While there were only 55,835 such cases reported in 1985, 632,512 cases were reported in 1998, 107 fold increase in thiretten years. 2) Sexual attitudes and behaviors among young people in China are changing. According to one study, 70 percent of students accepted the concept of premarital and extramarital sex. Sixteen percent of the young people surveyed had engaged in such sexual activity. 3) It is reported that 398,000 prostitutes and clients were arrested during 1998. This figure is 15.6 times the number that was arrested in 1985 (25,000). The actual number of male and female prostitutes is estimated to be between 3-4 million. 4) Estimates suggest that the total number of migrants may be as high as 120 million. Identified behaviors within this population show that many of its members engage in high levels of casual, unprotected sexual activity. Conclusion: The above mentioned high risk factors will promote increasing HIV cases through heterosexual transmission, and will speed the AIDS epidemic in China. It is a top priority to strengthen public health education on AIDS and to encourage people to follow a healthy sexual lifestyle.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Behavior
- China
- Disease Transmission, Horizontal
- Female
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Humans
- Male
- Prevalence
- Prostitution
- Research
- Risk Factors
- Sexual Behavior
- transmission
Other ID:
UI: 102239308
From Meeting Abstracts