Sex Is Most Common Cause of HIV in China

Unsafe sex has become the most common means of transmission of HIV in China, edging out IV-drug use and blood transfusions, the BBC reports. That points to the need to focus prevention efforts on mainstream sexual practices—not just those of high-risk groups—which poses a daunting challenge in a country with conservative attitudes about sex.

The stigma associated with AIDS often stops people from being tested, and the estimate that 650,000 Chinese are HIV positive is considered low. Sexual behaviors are changing as large populations of male migrant workers visit prostitutes more often, and premarital sex becomes more acceptable. (More China stories.)