Xi'an facilitate HIV checks

Medical institutions in Xi'an, capital of Northwest Shaanxi province, will set up HIV testing rooms and strengthen safe sex education for gay men, Huashang Daily reported on Tuesday.

The city government recently issued a notice for further strengthening AIDS/HIV prevention and control work with the requirement of establishing an AIDS surveillance detection system and increasing monitoring coverage over its districts and counties.

The government said its secondary and higher class medical institutions must establish AIDS testing laboratories and community health service centers and township hospitals should have a quick HIV detection room.

The notice also stressed a crack down on prostitution and said safe sex education for gay males should be enhanced to curb the increase of the epidemic in some districts and high-risk groups.

Official data show that the city of 8 million has around 1,000 HIV carriers.