China Daily (Hong Kong)

HIV-positive young man is hosting talk show to educate

- By SHAN JUAN shanjuan@chinadaily.com.cn

The 2016 World AIDS Day on Thursday will be a bit different for Liu Shi, a 24-yearold gay man, who is HIVpositiv­e.

He will host a talk show about his own experience and HIV/ AIDS prevention in a temporary glass room set up in a plaza in Sanlitun, a bustling commercial district in Beijing. The show will also be available live-streaming online.

“I feel a bit upset now, since there are usually lots of people in that area and they can see me through the glass,” said Liu Shi, who works full time at a private nonprofit organizati­on that provides support for AIDS patients in the capital.

Liu learned of his HIV-positive status in 2012, and since graduating from an occupation­al school has worked for NGOs to combat HIV/AIDS stereotype­s and discrimina­tion.

“Someone like me in the community has to stand out, providing a voice for patients,” he said on Wednesday

Wu Zunyou, head of the National Center for AIDS and Sexually Transmitte­d Disease Control and Prevention, co-organizer of the Sanlitun event, said Liu’s bravery will deliver the message to protect yourself against HIV, particular­ly to young people.

As of September, there were 654,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in China, and 201,000 deaths, according to the center.

The center has alerted the public to increasing HIV transmissi­ons among the young. In the first nine months of the year, 2,321 students aged 15 to 24 tested positive for HIV, a number 4.1 times greater than in 2010.

“At a sexually active age, they are aware of HIV/AIDS but their limited knowledge of disease prevention has failed to provide enough protection,” Wu said.

While most new transmissi­ons are among gay males, Wu also urged school authori- ties to be more open and provide more informatio­n to both male and female students.

Liu said that for a long time, HIV/AIDS education in the country highlighte­d only the fear and desperatio­n surroundin­g the condition, which “failed to deliver the key preventive messages to young men like myself.”

On Thursday, Liu said besides sharing such messages, his appearance would have another positive effect.

“They can see me, an AIDS patient who’s been in treatment for four years, still young, energetic, healthy and with great hope for the future,” he said.

Liu said he also will talk about fighting discrimina-. tion. “Despite growing social tolerance, AIDS related discrimina­tion still runs rampant here.”

Having been denied medical treatment before, Liu said he still hides his status when seeing a doctor.

Discrimina­tion makes people avoid HIV testing and timely treatment, and that undermines the nation’s overall AIDS battle, Wu said.

Liu said: “I hope I will be nicely treated tomorrow. Social norms cannot be changed overnight. But when I am old, I can say I’ve tried.”

 ?? ZHANG ZHENGYOU / FOR CHINA DAILY ?? Elementary school students in Donghai county in Jiangsu province crafted red ribbons as part of an HIV/AIDS prevention campaign on Tuesday.
ZHANG ZHENGYOU / FOR CHINA DAILY Elementary school students in Donghai county in Jiangsu province crafted red ribbons as part of an HIV/AIDS prevention campaign on Tuesday.
 ??  ?? Liu Shi
Liu Shi

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