China's Ministry of Health Monday released its intervention strategy to reduce activities that have a high-risk of transmitting HIV, which includes encouraging prostitutes to use condoms and accept medical treatment.
  
According to a press release issued by the ministry on Monday, China will start a campaign to raise awareness about HIV among underground prostitutes and encourage regular testing for the virus.
  
The plan stipulates that patients suffering from venereal diseases will be given standard medical treatment and free condoms; information about HIV and AIDS should be disseminated in areas frequented by homosexual males and their partners; and face-to-face training and education about the use of condoms should be given to rural migrant laborers living in the construction sites of large projects and densely populated urban areas.
  
According to the plan, intravenous drug-users should also be encouraged to practice safe sex, in addition to avoiding the sharing of syringes. Disease prevention and control organizations at county level should provide free and quality condoms especially to people infected with HIV and AIDS patients.
  
The ministry noted that medical workers involved in the plan should have knowledge of the patterns of transmission of HIV and other sexual diseases in the locales where they are to work.
 
High-risk behavior includes unprotected sex, promiscuous unprotected sex, unprotected anal sex, and the sharing of syringes during intravenous drug use.

(Xinhua News Agency June 7, 2005)