Study Shows rate of HIV infection amongst Beijing’s gay population over 3%

XINHUA-Beijing- On 29th November, a working group of the China CDC's NCAIDS issued the findings of an investigative report on 526 members of Beijing's gay population. The results showed an HIV infection rate of more than 3% amongst Beijing's gays.

According to a report in the Beijing Daily on 30th November, researchers spent half a year conducing in-depth research into the lives of the male gay population in Beijing. Of the 526 men who have sex with men recruited by the team, around 46% had relatively high levels of education and a stable work or study environment; 10.6% had been involved in a commercial sex transaction in the past six months; more than half had a stable male sex partner; only around 20% of the MSM were able to maintain the use of condoms and other safety measures during each sexual encounter; close of a third of the men engaged in bisexual sex activities.

The study shows that as the majority of MSM find it hard to maintain safer sexual practices, they are increasingly becoming at high risk of being infected by and spreading HIV. Estimates suggest there are around 300,000 MSM in Beijing.

1st December is World AIDS Day. On the 29th, a study was launched by the Ministry of Health, the CDC and academic from CASS into the health situation of MSM and their awareness of AIDS. The project will begin next year - five key cities will be chosen every year and intervention actions such as STI and AIDS treatment and care will be launched.