In the news: A possible HIV cure, the Nobel Prize for medicine and China's clinical trial fraud

Source: Scroll

Scientists in the United Kingdom testing a combination of anti-HIV drugs have reported that a test patient showed no sign of the virus after treatment, making it a possible breakthrough in the hunt for a cure for HIV and AIDS.

The treatment being tested is a combination of standard antiretroviral drugs with a drug that reactivates dormant HIV and a vaccine that triggers immune system activity to destroy cells infected with HIV. The combination tricks the virus, that is resilient because it hides in the body, to emerge and then attack it – a process called “kick and kill”.More

 

 

 

 

30/9/2016

Condom Market - China Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

Source: PR News wire

The condom industry in China is expected to witness significant growth owing to the rising average income of consumers and the demand for a better quality of life. China is a huge market for international condom manufacturers and brand enterprises. In addition, emphasis on public education about the use of condoms in preventing HIV and other known sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) is an imperative part of government supported efforts to stop AIDS in China. The country's plan to control, treat, and prevent HIV/AIDS for the period 2011 to 2015 estimates that approximate 90% of the key population is at higher risk, and 85% of urban residents aged between 15 to 60, and 80% of rural residents of the same group should be made aware about sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) and HIV by 2015. In order to implement this plan, the government has planned on providing condoms or condom vending machines in 90% of hotels and other unspecified public areas by 2015. Endorsement by popular celebrities about prevention of AIDS by using condoms is another effective method to educate the masses about safe sex.More

 

 

 

30/9/2016

Shifting Patterns of Hepatitis C Genotypes Distribution Seen

Source: MD Magazine

Researchers have identified changes in the distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in patients who also have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in a particular region of China. The movement in genotypes is described in a paper recently published on the web site PLOS One. The research was conducted by Weilie Chen, of the Department of Infectious Disease at Guangzhou No. 8 People’s Hospital in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues.

The most common cause of death in patients with HIV has become co-infection with HCV. The researchers say, “The distribution of HCV genotypes varies with geographical regions and time, and limited studies have focused on the HCV genotype in HIV/HCV co-infection.” In order to learn more about the distribution of the HCV genotypes, they examined data from 414 patients in three regions of China: South, Central, and Northwest.More

 

 

 

 

29/9/2016

As HIV Rates Soar, AIDS Activists Walk Across The Great Wall Of China

Source: New Now Next

On September 24, dozens of activists walked along a stretch of the Great Wall of China located in Tianjin City, northeast of Beijing, as part of AIDS Walk China.

The event has been held annually since 2012, with the goal of raising awareness about the virus and fighting its spread in the country of 1.35-billion people.More

 

 

 

 

 

27/9/2016

China Grapples With HIV Cases Among Gay Men, but Stigma Runs Deep

Source: The wall street journal

BEIJING—A health report from a southeastern corner of China has brought a disturbing truth into the open: HIV infections are growing rapidly among young, gay Chinese men.

 

The trend is worrying health authorities—and prompting criticism of their efforts to respond—in a country that until 2001 classified homosexuality as a mental illness and where there is almost no public discussion of gay issues or rights.More

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

27/9/2016

10% of female Chinese college students admit to getting pregnant at least once, survey says

Source: Shanghaiist

China's infamously abysmal sex education system is making headlines yet again thanks to another series of troubling surveys about contraceptive use on college campus.

One survey polled 18,000 college students with an average age of just over 20. As you might expect, there were some worrying results. 10% of female university students admitted to getting pregnant at least once, while 3.2% admitted to having multiple pregnancies.

China's Family Planning Association released a report on the survey yesterday to coincide with World Contraception Day. Speaking of contraception, over 60% of sexually active students said that they had used condoms during their last sexual experience. Unfortunately, 83.2% of students also responded that condoms were their preferred method of contraception.More

 

 

 

 

27/9/2016

The sexual revolution China needs – education

Source: The New Daily

A trend of unwanted pregnancies and a rising HIV rate among students has prompted some campaigners in China to provide proper sex education to young people.

Despite enforcing a strict one child policy up until recently, many Chinese school students have received little, if any, education about sex.

Peng Xiaohui, one of China’s most outspoken sex education advocates, says the country has a long history of sexual repression.More

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

27/9/2016

Why is university still "ground zero" for China's AIDS problem?

Source: Global Times

Over the last few years, the proportion of university students in China infected with AIDS has increased significantly. The city of Nanchang, located in China's southeastern Jiangxi province, has seen a 43 percent increase in the number of university students infected.

Other cities are experiencing a similar trend. As of January 2015, of Beijing's reported 3,000 AIDS, the proportion made up of students is rising. From 2014-15, Shanghai's number of infected students increased by 31.4 percent.

China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued statistics showing that 65 percent of infected students contracted the virus between 18 and 22 years of age, typically during their undergraduate studies. More

 

 

 

 

27/9/2016

HIV, AIDS Cases Among College Students in China on Rise

Source: China Topix

HIV/AIDS cases among college students in China have increased in the recent years, with majority involving gay men, based on a report in the People's Daily.

According to China's Health and Family Planning Commission, the growth rate of HIV/AIDS infection among students surpassed that of other groups. An estimated 81.6 percent of these cases affected gay men.