Only 73.3 percent youth in west China have a proper
understanding of HIV/AIDS, almost 23 percent lower than their peers
in the rest of the country, according to a survey.
Many young people in the west know the HIV virus can be
contracted through unprotected sex and blood transmission, said the
survey, jointly published by China's Juvenile Research Center and
the National Research Center for Science and Technology for
Development.
However, more than 20 percent wrongly believe the disease could
also be spread by sharing a room with AIDS patients.
"The misunderstanding proves that they have exaggerated the
possibility of AIDS infection, and being quite afraid of the
disease," said Deng Xiquan, doctor with the Juvenile Research
Center.
There are 11 regions in west China. It is home to 364 million
people, 28.6 percent of the country's total. West China lags behind
other parts of the country in economic development, education, and
health care due to natural and historical reasons, so the people
are less aware of issues like HIV/AIDS.
However, the Ministry of Health said earlier this year that
young people in the region are a key target in the awareness
campaign on the prevention and control of the disease, as they are
a high-risk group.
The survey also showed that young people in west China seem to
know more about HIV/AIDS than adults, since the average level of
HIV/AIDS awareness in west China stays at 58.1 percent.
China has an estimated 650,000 people living with HIV/AIDS,
including 75,000 with full blown AIDS.
(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2007)