UNESCO launches virtual classroom for sexual health education in China

Source: Future Gov

UNESCO Beijing Office recently launched an online interactive knowledge-sharing platform to educate young people in China on HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health.

The platform called ‘YouthKnows or 青春知道’ is hosted on Baidu Knows, an online Q&A platform hosted by Baidu which is the country’s largest search engine covering 94 per cent of all internet users in China.

The initiative is part of UNESCO’s Virtual Classroom project that aims to support the Chinese government in combating HIV.

The organisation understands the importance of reaching China’s youth population through the internet. A study showed that two out of three young Chinese aged 10 to 29 are online.

Moreover, 66 per cent of young males and 54 per cent of young females look for information on HIV and sexual health online. Search engines and online user-generated Q&A sites are the most popular methods for these users. More…

22/01/2014

City denies AIDS rumors, admits crisis

Source: Global Times

Dongguan, a city in Guangdong Province, on Tuesday refuted rumors that there were more than 2,700 KTV waitresses infected with HIV/AIDS in the city.

It instead put the total figure at closer to 2,000, and admitted that the city is entering a high incidence period of HIV/AIDS.

The official website of the Dongguan health bureau published a statement to refute recent online rumors. One rumor said that in Houjie town alone, there were 1,600 AIDS patients. Another rumor said 633 local waitresses were infected.

The rumors may have come from a recent trial in a Dongguan court, the Guangzhou Daily reported.

On January 15, media reports said that the First People's Court of Dongguan revealed a case in which a woman knew she was an AIDS patient but still engaged in prostitution without wearing condoms.

The health bureau said similar rumors also appeared in Dalian, Beijing, Fuzhou and other cities.

According to the bureau, by December 31, 2013, the number of HIV/AIDS carriers had climbed to 2,032 since the city   identified its first AIDS patient in 1991.More…

16/01/2014

HIV Cases Double among Guangdong Students

Source: Women of China

The number of HIV carriers in many cities in Guangdong has experienced double digit growth. [china.org.cn]

South China's Guangdong Province has recently seen a twofold growth in the number of HIV carriers among university students, according to Bai Zhiquan, the member of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Guangdong.

The number of HIV carriers in many cities in Guangdong has experienced double digit growth.

By October last year, Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, reported 5,852 HIV carriers, among which 1,979 became positive and 785 died.

The city has seen an average of 13 percent increase in HIV carriers each year since 2008.

According to a previous survey, about 5 percent of homosexuals in China are HIV carriers.

It is important to increase awareness of AIDS and HIV prevention on campuses, Bai said.

Universities need to introduce sex education into curriculums as common optional courses and highlight the prevention measures in school clinics and campaigns.

However, the most urgent issue in controlling the spread of HIV is to overcome the taboo about sex in school and make condoms available on campuses, Bai emphasized.