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China AIDS victim uses Internet to help others
- The Web site of a Chinese AIDS sufferer which acts as a forum for growing numbers of victims seeking advice on how to handle HIV/AIDS has been publicized just days before a key conference on the disease.
The publicity also precedes a China AIDS/Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) conference due to be held in Beijing on November 13 to 16, described by officials as China`s first.
On the site, Xiao responds to a wide range of questions spanning basic issues like the general symptoms of HIV to other more complex ones like suitable medicines for confirmed sufferers.
In one anonymous message, a person admits to committing "highly dangerous acts" -- typically meaning visits to prostitutes in Chinese -- and deep fears that he has contracted HIV despite testing negative six times.
HIV is the virus that can cause AIDS.
"From my own analysis of my unidentifiable symptoms in the last six months, I cannot think of any reason other than HIV so I want to ask everyone if you have had the same symptoms," the person wrote on a public message board along with a lengthy description of symptoms.
Bureau Report