The number of Chinese students infected with HIV is on the rise, with homosexual transmission becoming the major cause of new infections, an official said on Saturday.
In 2012, 1,700 students were diagnosed with HIV, up 24.5 percent compared to 2011, according to Yu Jingjin, an official with the National Health and Family Planning Commission.
Yu explained that 64.8 percent of infected students were likely exposed to the virus through homosexual contact. At present, a total of 7,000 registered students in China have been reported to be carriers of HIV.
Xu Xiaoyang, a scholar with the China Sexology Association, told the Global Times Sunday that since HIV has a latent period, the exact time of infection can be harder to determine.
"But this reflects a serious problem. We are not taking education on prevention seriously," she said. "Students should be the target group for more comprehensive and thorough education since they are more open-minded."
When it comes to the increase in infection among homosexuals, Xu said the lack of education is the major culprit.
"Gay couples should use condoms. This greatly reduces the chance of infection," she said, adding that those who have multiple sexual partners are also more likely to contract HIV.
Campuses nationwide have launched efforts to strengthen education provided to college students and reduce discrimination against AIDS patients.
Zhang Gailun, a graduate student at the Renmin University of China (RUC), told the Global Times that classes on safe sex are gaining popularity. She took a sexology course as a freshman during her undergraduate years, and still attends the class today. "At first I was a little embarrassed," Zhang said. "But this is actually something serious." Zhang said students' ignorance is partly to blame for the rising infection rate of HIV/AIDS. "We are adults now and we should at least know about our bodies."
Various organizations are also taking the initiative to shoulder more responsibility in education. Founded in 2002, Youth Red Ribbon is devoted to promoting HIV/AIDS prevention and targets college students and manual laborers.
University students in Guangdong Province have initiated an AIDS charity organization known as Pengyou Gong-yi, which has a special branch devoted to the gay community. Supported by famous AIDS expert Zhang Beichuan, the organization has attracted more than 200 volunteers in two years.
As the first expert to domestically call for large-scale AIDS prevention in the gay community, Zhang Beichuan advocates eliminating discrimination against infected homosexuals.
Yu Yang, a senior student and chair of the RUC Youth Volunteers Association, told the Global Times that the association hosts several annual events to educate students on AIDS prevention.
The group's annual photo exhibition draws big crowds. "Over 200 students come to attend special lectures," Yu said. "Even people who work nearby come. They say they never have the chance to learn such important knowledge."