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China’s fight against AIDS has been severely hampered by the many stigmas and misperceptions that surround the disease in this country. The Chinese government did not acknowledge the epidemic until 2001, so education and awareness about it is extremely limited. The lack of reliable information about AIDS has created an environment of fear and panic about the virus. For example, in January 2003, a survey found that 17% of those surveyed have never heard of HIV/AIDS. The same survey found that 77% of those surveyed did not know that condoms were a successful form of protection against the virus. Education on how to protect oneself against the virus is extremely limited. It was not until 1999 that the first condom advertisements were shown on Chinese television. To make matters worse, shortly after these commercials were aired, they were banned by the state. It was not until 2003 that the government decided to allow condom advertisements on television again. As a result of this lack of information, many Chinese people associate condoms with promiscuity and not with safe sex (Avert.org). The lack of education about the AIDS virus has created an environment of discrimination against those infected with the disease, so they are often treated inhumanely. A survey taken by the China Social Survey Firm found that 75% of those surveyed would avoid infected individuals and 45% thought that the disease was a consequence of “moral degeneration.” In a 2003 Human Rights Watch interview, one PLWHA explained, “Your family won’t eat with you, they give you food to eat apart from them and they won’t have contact with you. Your friends ignore you. They are afraid of getting it from casual contact. If you pass them a cigarette, they won’t accept it.” Because of this constant discrimination, many infected Chinese hide their HIV/AIDS status. Impact of HIV While the number of AIDS cases in China remains relatively low, China is home to one of the most rapidly expanding HIV epidemics in the world. Since 1999, China has reported a 30% increase in HIV infections (UN Epidemiological Fact Sheets on HIV/AIDS: China). The epidemic is so severe that it is estimated that the number of AIDS cases will exceed ten million by 2010. This poses a large problem for Chinese society because AIDS strikes those in the most productive age groups and is fatal without antiretroviral treatment. Therefore, the disease can have a great affect on the workplace. Staff illnesses, absentees, and death negatively affect productivity. Occupational health and safety are also affected and workplace morale is low. Also, more children will be orphaned as the number of AIDS- related fatalities increase. This too will negatively affect the Chinese economy. Government Response and Access Until the China Plan of Action to Contain, Prevent, and Control HIV/AIDS (2001-2005) was launched, the Chinese government had been unwilling to confront the severity of the disease. However, on World AIDS Day of 2001, the government released stories, testimonials, and television dramas about HIV/AIDS, clearly demonstrating an increase in the government’s willingness to deal with the epidemic. In 2004, China pledged more money for providing domestically produced antiretroviral medicines, education and awareness programs, counseling, and training of medical staff. These actions have started to make progress. Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr. Peter Piot, said, “I really feel that there is a change going on... I know that for top state leaders in China today, AIDS is on the agenda." However, more health facilities and medical treatment need to be accessible to the general population. Although the Chinese government has started taking positive steps to confront HIV/AIDS, the lack of openness about the disease that has existed for so long has meant that education and information is still limited. While progress has been made, issues relating to sexuality (such as AIDS) are still taboo and controversial topics. For example, only recently has the Ministry of Health redefined a condom as a “medical device” and not a “sexual commodity” (www.avert.org). Because of the lack of education and awareness, the discrimination and stigmas that surround the virus cause many infected people to live like fugitives. They have no access to care and receive no support for their illness. Human Rights Watch found that those infected have to deal with, “not only the horror of facing a painful and certain death, but also facing that death alone, in squalor, with no one to bring them food or change their sheets, fearful to even show their faces to neighbors because of the risk eviction” (Locked Doors: The Human Rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS in China). Thus, although the government has started to confront issues relating to the virus, lack of education and resources, discrimination, and a weak public health system are still barriers to successful prevention and treatment. Scale Because of the lack of adequate testing equipment and facilities, it is thought that virus infection rates are underreported in China, especially in rural areas. Many Chinese also choose not to be tested because of the discrimination experienced by infected people. The director of China’s Department of Disease Control writes, "Exact figures are difficult to arrive at because government at local levels are very reticent to report on actual cases, a situation compounded by individuals who are reluctant to come forward because of discrimination." Some statistics to help illustrate the severity of HIV/AIDS within China follow. -Adult (15-49) Prevalence Rate: 0.1% Local NGO profile: Chi Heng Foundation Created in 1998, the Chi Heng Foundation promotes education about the epidemic and cares for children who have been affected by the HIV/AIDS virus. The organization does so by providing psychological care, material assistance, and education for children orphaned because of the virus or infected with it. Facts and Resources about AIDS in China *Video: China's Progress against AIDS (AP) *Article on AIDS Discrimination in China (Reuters) *Locked Doors: The Human Rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS in China (Human Rights Watch) *Article: "City Emerges as Model in China's Efforts to Reverse AIDS Record" *"China Asked Not to Harass AIDS Activists" (AP) *Discrimination in China is so severe in some places that local laws allow authorities to refuse to marry those infected (www.avert.org). *On World AIDS Day 2003, Wen Jiabao became the first Chinese premier to shake hands with an HIV-positive person. This handshake was believed to represent a fundamental shift in the Chinese government’s willingness to confront the virus (Financial Times, 2003) . *While progress in education is being made, many misperceptions still exist
about the virus. Below is the information about an “only-for-man”
cream available in hotel rooms. When used, this cream supposedly can “prevent
any infectious disease.” | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
