The AIDS Criminal

Everyone BEWARE!!! There’s a new type of criminal on the prowl, the AIDS criminal! They brandish syringes while carrying out stickups and threaten to stab police if pursued; at least that’s what a Chinese state-owned weekly paper is warning ( The Economitst ). This is representative of a larger fear of the disease and a lack of education about it as well. While China currently has only approximately 650,000 citizens diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, this number is increasing at an annual rate of 11% ( UNAIDS ). With such rapid transmission, the issue needs to be dealt with head on.
A 2005 study by Horizon Research showed that over two-thirds of those surveyed believed AIDS could be contracted through even indirect contact, like using the same toilet or bath. This type of ignorance is fueling the country’s panic.
In order to calm the situation and fight the spread of the disease, the government must overhaul their entire approach. Currently, the policy, as confirmed by Hao Yang of the Ministry of Health, is to test all prisoners for HIV and segregate the positive testing inmates. A UN report in 2006 however, argued that fear of HIV/AIDS put HIV-positive prisoners at risk for, “increased risk of social isolation, violence, and human-rights abuses from both prisoners and prison staff” ( UNAIDS ). Therefore, this policy is serving only to further isolate HIV-positive people and further engrain false stereotypes. Instead, the government must take a more open approach with education at the forefront.
As prostitution and drug use is rapidly increasing in China, the situation is becoming dire. Immediate action must be taken.