New HIV/AIDS cases are increasing rapidly in China, particularly among college students and older men, Reuters reported, citing state media. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said the country had 48,000 new cases in 2011; almost 82% of which had been transmitted via sexual intercourse, up from just 11.6% before 2005. The number of HIV positive men aged 60 and over rose to 8.9% of the total; 11% were male college students. State media reported that when the figures are fully updated by the end of 2011, the total number of HIV/AIDS cases may to increase from 346,000 to 780,000. Beijing’s much more transparent handling of HIV/AIDS data and aggressive methods to raise awareness and combat the disease is a contrast to the 1990s, when it bungled a cover-up campaign after farmers in Henan province were infected.
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