AEGiS-11IAC: Trends of HIV infection in Guangdong Province, Southern China.

11th International AIDS Conference

Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

Trends of HIV infection in Guangdong Province, Southern China.

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:456 (abstract no. Pub.C.1110)
Jiang L, Lin P, Zeng C, Zhou H, Zhao X, Lin K, Yan J; HIV/AIDS Control Center, Health and Epidemic Prevention Center of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China. Fax: (020) 4451502.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the HIV prevalence and monitor the trends of HIV infection in general and various high risk populations.

METHODS: HIV/AIDS data was from a 9-year (1986-1995) HIV routine surveillance in general hospitals, blood banks, STD clinics and drug withdrawal centers. HIV sentinal surveillance programs were carried out in STD patients and drug users by WHO protocol. A total of 490,678 blood samples were tested. The high risk populations included 17,388 STD patients, 14,005 prostitutes, 2,954 prostitute clients, 6,961 drug users. The rest were from low risk populations of which 110,545 blood donors were included.

RESULTS: A total of 153 HIV/AIDS cases were found from 1986 to 1995, and 110 of these cases were MAINLAND CHINESE residents. 61% (67/110) of the native cases have stayed in Southeast Asian and African countries for more than three months. Of the 65 HIV-infected Guangdong inhabitants, 50% (32/65) were from southeast area of Guangdong Province, Chao Shan region, they have visited Thailand and had sexual contacts with local female sex workers. In 1995, 15 HIV-positive cases were screened out of 93,946 paid donated blood units. No HIV-positive cases have yet been found by HIV sentinal surveillance projects in STD patients and drug users.

CONCLUSIONS: From 1986-1989, no HIV cases were detected in native residents. From 1990-1994, 94% of the reported HIV cases were infected outside of the country. In 1995, around 50% of the HIV-infected cases were indigenously infected. Special efforts are needed to prevent HIV infection through blood transfusion. HIV prevalence is currently very low in STD and drug populations, but culturally accepted and effective HIV prevention programs should be designed and implemented in these high risk populations.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Infections, Prostitution, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, Prevalence, China, Blood Donors, Substance-Related Disorders, Thailand, Human, Female, trends, ICA11

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