Urgent action needed on HIV in Heilongjiang

by Michael Woodhead

A HIV epidemic in Heilongjiang has shown explosive growth since 2009 and homosexual contact has become the dominant route of HIV transmission, research shows.

Dr Shao Bin and co-researchers at the Public Health College of Harbin Medical University says action is urgently needed to curb the HIV outbreak in the northeast.

Analysing data from the provincial surveillance system for HIV infections, they found there had been 3062 HIV-infections in the area up to 2012, with 426 deaths. Since 2007, homosexual transmission has increased and become the dominant route of HIV transmission, accounting for 58% of cases during 2009–2010, and 69% during 2011–2012.

Gay men with HIV infections tended to be younger (21–30), unmarried, urban residents and have college or higher education.

“The current existing prevention strategy is not enough to prevent new infections. … Urgent intervention is needed to recognize and target this population, ,” the researchers said

Full study: Journal of Infection