HIV/AIDS in Two Provinces in China: Do Men's and Women's Attitudes and Behavior Differ?

Karen Hardee, Futures Group International
Victor Yuan, Horizon Market Research
Tim Manchester, Futures Group Europe

HIV prevalence in China could reach 10 million in 2010 if successful measures to stem its spread are not taken. The epidemic has primarily spread through injecting drug use and blood selling and more recently through sex workers and their clients. Gender norms influence how women and men are able to negotiate safe sex practices, including condom use with commercial and regular partners. This paper uses data from the 2001 Behavioral Surveillance Survey of 811 sex workers and 813 men in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces conducted by Horizon Market Research and Futures Group Europe. Interesting similarities and differences emerge regarding women's and men's knowledge, attitudes and behavior regarding HIV/AIDS. How men and women perceive their risk of HIV/AIDS and the protective actions they take (or do not take) to avoid contracting the infection has implications for the design of intervention to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in China.