HIV/AIDS Advocates, Disease Control Center Open First STI Clinic for MSM in Beijing
The Disease Prevention and Control Center of Beijing's Chaoyang district and the Chaoyang Chinese AIDS Volunteer Group, a nongovernmental AIDS prevention organization, on Thursday in Beijing opened the city's first sexually transmitted infections clinic for men who have sex with men, Xinhuanet reports. The clinic was set up with financial assistance from local health authorities and will provide one year of no-cost screenings and treatment for genital herpes, gonorrhea and syphilis, Xiao Dong, chief of the Chaoyang Chinese AIDS Volunteer Group, said. The clinic also will provide no-cost HIV tests but will not provide no-cost treatment, according to Xiao. Those who test HIV-positive will be directed to national treatment programs, he said. In addition, Xiao said the group plans to open clinics in two or three community hospitals in order to provide more convenient and confidential services. "We will do our best to find funding so that we can continue our free examination and treatment services a year from now," Xiao said. According to Zhang Beichuan, a professor with Qingdao University's Medical College, HIV prevalence among sexually active MSM in China is about 1.5% (Xinhuanet, 10/28).
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