The UN predicts that 10 million Chinese could be infected with HIV by 2010. Without a speedy government response, HIV could spread quickly through the general population. What are the barriers facing HIV prevention programmes in China? Researchers from the Futures Group investigate.

Many experts believe that 1.5 to 2 million Chinese are HIV positive. Currently infection is concentrated in high-risk groups: injecting drug users, people who sell their blood, and sex workers. In some of these groups, up to 80 per cent of people are infected. The level in the general population is still low at around 0.13 per cent. Appropriate prevention strategies are needed now to avoid a catastrophe.

Researchers surveyed 6 777 adults living in 10 cities and 10 towns throughout China. They found that:

• More than 93 per cent of city residents and almost 83 per cent of town dwellers have heard of HIV or AIDS.
• Knowledge about the main infection routes is lower at 73 and 63 per cent, respectively.
• Only 32 per cent of people living in cities and 24 per cent of town residents know that condoms can protect them from HIV.
• Stigma and discrimination are widespread.
• Knowledge about HIV and its prevention is better and stigmatising attitudes rarer among males, younger people, the better educated and, in cities, higher income groups.

More than three-quarters of city residents and two-thirds of people living in towns do not feel personally at risk of HIV infection. Around one-third of people say they have not changed their behaviour as a result of AIDS. Among the rest, behaviour change is most likely to involve caution over blood transfusions or sharing needles, and reductions in the number of sex partners. Around five per cent of city dwellers and three per cent of town residents say they now use condoms every time they have sex.

Four per cent of people are considered to be at fairly high risk of HIV infection. They are generally more knowledgeable about HIV and condoms than other adults.

China faces a number of challenges in responding effectively to the epidemic:

• The government's population policy's promotion of long-term contraceptive methods has led to a lack of knowledge and understanding about the role of condoms in preventing disease.
• The policy encourages later marriage which may increase pre-marital sex.
• There are growing numbers of migrant workers who are away from their families for long periods of time and are more likely to use sex workers.
• Sex and sexuality are not openly discussed and sex education is not part of the school curriculum.
• There is still room for improvement in the safety of blood supplies.

Policy-makers must aim to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS issues to enable people to protect themselves, to reduce stigma and discrimination against those infected and to bring the crisis under some form of control in China.

Source(s):
‘Attitudes towards HIV/AIDS in China: research on public knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in cities and towns’, Futures Group survey, by T. Manchester, 2002

Funded by: UK Department for International Development

id21 Research Highlight: 27 February 2003

Further Information:
Samantha Whitwham
Marketing Communications Manager
Futures Group Europe
Edgar Buildings
17 George Street
Bath BA1 2EN
UK

Tel: +44 (0) 1225 321 840
Fax: +44 (0) 1225 443 656
Contact the contributor: S.Whitwham@tfgi.com

Futures Group International

Other related links:
'Saving the children: fighting AIDS in Asia'

'Meeting their needs? Discussing young people’s sexual health'

See id21's collection of links relevant to HIV/AIDS.