“How to have an accurate view of Homosexuality?” has become an important part in Ningbo’s Aids Prevention work.  At the moment, Ningbo City’s Disease Control Department had made a bold move: “To Recruit those within the circle of Male Homosexual having Sex with Men, to be Volunteers, to develop Peer Education and Intervention on Aids Transmission”.

In 2007, of the 50,000 newly discovered Aids Infection, transmission through Men having Sex with Men (MSM) was 12.2%.  In the yearly report of infected cases, the MSM homosexual percentage was increasing yearly, with MSM transmission at 0.4% in 2005 to 3.3% in 2007.  Comparing to 2006, the Ningbo City’s Aids Infection for the MSM homosexual in 2007 increased by many folds.

 “Due to them having multiple sexual partners and their low rates of condom used, the MSM’s Aids Infection rate was just below the Substance Abusers.  They are the second high-risk population and became one of our country’s three core populations in the Aids epidemic.”  According to the experts.

The experts pointed out that, in reality, the homosexual phenomena are one of the basic behavioural models commonly existed across various cultures throughout the history of mankind.  After more than a century of scientific research, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed in 1992 that homosexuality is a natural development belonging to a minority group of people and not a psychological barrier.

The experts said that: “The tolerance level towards homosexuality is an indication of a civil society, and to accurately face the homosexuality phenomena is an important part of preventing the spread of Aids.”

According to the introduction, Ningbo City’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention developed the “Ningbo City’s MSM Population’s Comprehensive Prevention and Controlled Trail Project” in May.  This project will provide free Aids, Syphilis and Hepatitis C testing for this group.  It will distribute condoms and lubricants, for free, in places where they congregate.  There will be services such as hotlines and website consultations for them as well.  However, the staff still met with obstacles in the process of carrying out investigation work for MSM.  The main problem was their inability to obtain cooperation to work together with the people whom they needed to investigate.

Under this situation, Ningbo City’s Disease Control Department boldly suggested to recruit a few people within the MSM circle to permanently station in Ningbo to develop this work, as volunteers.  Those who are interested, please call 9574-87274562 for further inquiry.

* Translated by Sock Sim Koh