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Guangdong has become the first
Chinese province to exempt teaching applicants from HIV testing, a move
proposed by the nongovernmental organization Equity and Justice Initiative
(EJI) in January. Guo Bin, EJI director, stated that the action sent a signal
to the public that the rights of “social minorities” must be respected. Chen
Yuan, director of Nanjing Tianxiagong (Justice for All), agreed that the action
was a sign that rampant discrimination and stigma against HIV-infected persons
might be waning in China.
Opponents of Guangdong’s decision
included parents who were concerned about student safety, in light of recent
sexual assaults by teachers in Hunan and Hainan provinces. The Twitter-like
social networking site Sina Weibo conducted an online survey in which 3,266
respondents favored the elimination of HIV testing for teachers and 2,971
opposed it, as of May 29.
China’s 2006 Regulations on HIV/AIDS
Prevention and Treatment supported the legal rights of HIV-infected people
regarding marriage, employment, education, and medical treatment. However, a
survey of 729 HIV-infected people conducted by Beijing Yiranping Center
revealed that 61 percent of urban HIV patients could not find jobs and 20
percent were dependent on their families for financial support.
China has recorded only four
HIV-related employment discrimination court cases since 2010, and only one
individual has received compensation. The Jinxian County Education Bureau paid
an applicant $7,275 in damages after a court ruling in January, but the
individual still has not been able to find a teaching position.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
