No more 'sloppy seconds' as AIDS education launched

According to the ever-reliable health officials, AIDS is now officially the third most deadly disease in China -- but never fear -- you may soon be able to frequent your brothel of choice and pork away with safety, as plans are afoot to provide education to employees of all local hair salons, massage parlors and karaoke bars, whether they provide prostitution or not, and set up condom machines in the facilities this year. (But we thought people just went to karaoke bars to sing? Confusing.)

Another official stat is also in -- they guesstimate that there are 20,000 small hair salons, massage parlors and karaoke bars. We have no idea how they reckoned on 20,000 (maybe asked their colleagues?) but along as the amount is a LOT, then it sounds about right. The article also states that "[s]ome workers at those places have been found to deal in illegal sex services".

We'll say it again: Surely not!

If that great news had you putting on your socks and brushing your teeth, ready to run to the nearest pink-light hair salon, then allow us to delay you for one moment longer with even better news: Shanghai Kehua Bio-engineering Company Limited have developed a test kit which apparently allows you to diagnose the existence of HIV/AIDS (the article treats them as the same thing) in the same time as it takes you to, say ... visit a hair salon. The article also tells us that the new test kit "will make the HIV/AIDS diagnosis convenient and fast -- [at] just half an hour".

Excellent. We hate it when we really have to get something done but are slowed down by the sheer inconvenience of a lengthy AIDS test.

Also on Shanghaiist:
It’s still World AIDS Day somewhere in the world
AIDS in China: Not just a slow sexual thang
We’re No. 1! Shanghai kicks ass in condom use
Shanghai shows love for its male inhabitants

Related:
Henan to begin AIDS check on 1.5m people
AIDS winding its way through China
China AIDS Info site
China AIDS network
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Photo from gkaufman.