Posts
On June 3, the Shanghai government
announced on the Chinese social networking site Sina Weibo that HIV-infected
children with a permanent Shanghai residence permit (hukou) will be eligible
for a $228.29 monthly subsidy in addition to back payments since January 2012.
According to an editorial by Feng Yu, managing editor of Global Times Metro
Shanghai, the amount was large enough to guarantee the “basic necessities” for
HIV-infected children.
However, some Shanghai residents
opposed the ruling because the identity of HIV-infected children remained
confidential. Yu explained that confidentiality meant discussions between
healthcare providers and clients and test results were not disclosed to anyone
else without permission from the client. Although confidentiality protected the
children from discrimination, opponents feared the possibility of HIV/AIDS
transmission and were concerned that funds might never reach the children if
the government did not maintain transparency. Some residents also resisted
confidentiality for HIV-infected adults because they could have intercourse
without protection or disclosing HIV status to partners.
Yu reviewed World Health
Organization (WHO) information regarding HIV transmission via body fluids,
including blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal fluids, and emphasized that
HIV could not be transmitted through ordinary contact such as kissing, hugging,
shaking hands or sharing food and drink. Yu urged medical personnel and
HIV/AIDS volunteers to provide HIV education for young children and for
HIV-infected people to minimize the risk of HIV transmission and to maintain
“social stability.” The five key components of WHO HIV Testing and Counseling
Services included “consent, confidentiality, counseling, correct test results,
and connection/linkage to services.”
Dignitaries and celebrities,
including Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President and WHO Goodwill Ambassador
for TB and HIV/AIDS Xi Jinping, support China’s recent HIV education efforts.
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!
