Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Reuters NewMedia - Thursday December 6, 2001
Chee-may Chow

The film's graphic language and scenes were a deliberate attempt to grab the attention of a specific audience--truckers who commute daily between Hong Kong and the neighboring southern Chinese boomtown of Shenzhen, a spokesman for AIDS Concern told Reuters on Thursday.

There has been growing concern in Hong Kong that the increasing number of local men who visit prostitutes in China might drive up the number of HIV and AIDS infections in the territory.

"The people we are trying to reach are sexually active male adults. We went round to the truck drivers first and asked them what kind of film do you most like watching and they said porn," AIDS Concern Chief Executive Graham Smith said.

In the film, fictional trucker Wan Po makes no secret of his frequent visits to brothels in China or having unprotected sex with prostitutes.

"It's meaningless to do it with a plastic bag! I might as well be masturbating," he boasts to his friends.

The 10-minute video, which will be shown weekly at the waiting area of the territory's main cargo terminal, warns of the risks involved in promiscuous behavior and includes animated instructions on how to use condoms.

"We wanted to make sure people watched our video and not feel they are being lectured to and that they can identify with the characters in it," Smith said.

The number of AIDS cases in Hong Kong is still relatively low compared with many other countries in Asia. However, a recent study showed one in two cross-border lorry drivers have had sex with Chinese prostitutes.

There have been 524 confirmed AIDS cases and 1,636 HIV infections reported in the territory of nearly 7 million people since 1985, when the government first set up a surveillance program to monitor the disease.

Fifty people tested positive for HIV and another 15 were confirmed to have developed AIDS in the second quarter of this year.

China recently made a rare admission of the scale of its AIDS threat, saying that reported HIV infections had surged 67.4% to 3,541 in the first half of 2001 compared with the same period last year.

China puts the number of confirmed HIV/AIDS cases at 28,133 but some experts say the real figure could be well over 600,000.

The United Nations has said China could have 10 million people with HIV/AIDS by 2010 unless it acts decisively.
011206
RE011213

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2001. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2001. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .