AIDS threatens elderly but stigma hinders treatment
China has reported a soaring number of the elderly living with HIV/AIDS, but gettingjewelry shopthem treatment remains a thorny task for grassroots medical professionals as the stigma of the incurable epidemic lingers.
Figures revealed Wednesday by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the number of HIV-positive men in their 60s and above accounted for 8.9 percent of the country'scheap wholesale jewelry total last year, while the group only took up 2.2 percent in 2005.
The surge in HIV infections among the elderly was mainly caused by elderly men's increasing involvement in sexual services, as their sexually active period has been prolonged due to improved living standards and health conditions, according to Wu Zunyou, director of the CDC HIV/AIDS prevention and control center.
"Some old men have adopted a more open attitude to sex than before, and nowadays, they have more access to commercial sex, especially cheap services," said Lu Lin, directorjewelry storesof the CDC in the southwestern Yunnan province.
In addition, the increasing number of the HIV-positive elderly also resulted from the country's intensifying HIV testing efforts, Lu added.
"Many old people living with HIV refuse to receive treatment. Some of them are retired government employees," said Kang Jun, head of the HIV/AIDS prevention and control office in Yunnan's Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture.
Their primary concern is that if they accept treatment, their situation will be made public, and they will therefore "lose face," according to Kang.
Despite years of anti-discrimination campaigns in China, HIV/AIDS is still deemed as disgraceful by many people and patients themselves.
Influenced by the Confucian thoughts, Chinese culture places high value on an individual's reputation, especially the older generation, who are more tied to tradition.
Another justification for discount fashion jewelryrefusing treatment given by some HIV-infected elderly individuals is that "they are already old and don't have much time to live anyway," Kang said.
