Bring safe sex to China

Abstract

The alarming spread of HIV among gay men is not seen in other high-risk groups, such as intravenous drug users and former commercial blood donors, and is fueled by a stigma against homosexuality in China. In many ways, attitudes towards sexuality today in China resemble those of Western countries a quarter of a century ago. The main pressure for homosexuals to conceal their identity comes from friends and family, who place large emphasis on traditional obligations to uphold the family reputation and lineage. Chinese people aren't uncomfortable just in discussing homosexuality—sex in general is still considered extremely personal and is rarely addressed openly or directly, irrespective of orientation. This discomfort has resulted in a pervasive stigma against people with HIV, a lack of general sex education for young people and poor epidemiological data about the spread of HIV in some populations around the country. The result is a hidden population of individuals who are afraid to seek out HIV information resources or testing and counseling centers. Poorly educated, unaware of their HIV status and under pressure to conceal their sexual encounters, these men often engage in high-risk behavior. Although both international and national groups have identified a rise in new infections in homosexual men in China, precise monitoring of the disease remains one of the greatest hurdles facing HIV researchers. Only through a large-scale, coordinated effort between policy, program, research and clinical sectors will new infections start to significantly decrease. The challenge is not insurmountable. But it does require concerted action. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)