A Clinic that offers gay men free AIDS checks and treatment for sexually
transmitted diseases opened in Beijing yesterday.
The clinic provides gay men with a pay phone card worth 50 yuan
(US$6.25) as reimbursement for each trip they make to the facility
for a checkup,a local newspaper reported.
But they first need to log on to the Website (www.hivolunt.net)
and fill up an application form, the report said. Then workers at
the clinic will arrange for an appointment with the applicants.
The patient must be a gay man who is a permanent Beijing
resident or who can visit the clinic regularly for checks and
treatment, the newspaper said. Checks for AIDS and STD, and
treatment for STD are free at the facility.
If a patient is found to have AIDS, the clinic will help him
join a national program of free AIDS treatment.
The clinic is in the Disease Prevention and Control Center of
Chaoyang District, a sponsor of the program initiated by a local
non-governmental AIDS intervention group.
The service will be expanded to other community healthcare
centers soon.
(Shanghai Daily October 27, 2006)