China, HIV, and Xenophobia

The Guardian reports that China is ending its HIV entry ban. I think this is a good thing, but first some background on the situation.

When I lived in China, I was forced to have my chest x-rayed to make sure I didn't have tuberculosi, had my womb scanned to make sure I wasn't pregnant, and had my blood drawn to make sure I didn't have HIV/Aids. This was in 2004 and 2005. Fortunately for me, this was all paid for by the university I was working for. But it still remains that it was illegal for foreigners in China to have HIV/Aids. During the time I was there, there was even a case where the police were looking for a foreigner who had lied about having HIV and was on the run. They published a description of him and everything. Scary.

But even more frightening than dealing with the Chinese police (one of those fears I try to avoid), was the public opinion of STD such as HIV and Aids.

In China I had a lovely housekeeper named Sunny, who was a local woman who spoke English fairly well and had a knack for getting things done. She'd come in and clean once a week, but even better, it didn't matter what you needed, curtains, a vet, plants, she could find it for you. A clever woman, making her money off of the foriegn teachers at the university, but very genuine and nice. She was no rural bumpkin, nor a bigoted moron.

We were speaking one time about prostitutes in the nearby city. (Can't remember why.) And during the conversation the topic of safe sex came up. I think she had said that the prostitutes use no protection, or maybe I had asked about it. I had said, lord that's just wrong! Cause then these women could get Aids or something and then give it to other men who then take it home and give it to their wives! And this statement came as a surprise to my otherwise-worldly housekeeper. Only foriegners have Aids. I (probably quite angerly) refuted this saying, no, anyone can have Aids. And even if it first came from foreigners, everytime a Chinese man goes to Thailand and sleeps with a prostitute he could brind back Aids to his wife and family and any other prostitutes he sleeps with. I don't think I mentioned drug use or sharing needles, but the flat out denial that Aids (or any STD) shouldn't be a consideration between two Chinese people having unprotected sex simply blew me away.

I think I helped open her eyes about the matter some. But then, like I said, she was sharp. All of her English had been learned on her own by working for foreign teachers. But even this intelligent woman who has worked with foreigners for years still harboured some small xenophobic blame of foreigners for Aids.

Possibly the only other statement to surprise me was from that teacher named Angel from the Phillippines who, when I asked why she thought there were so many hurricanes hitting the Deep South (of the US) replied -- quite seriously -- because they are evil sinners. And here I was thinking about "climate change" or "global warming". But she actually was a loony.