Related Event: AIDS Focus 2004

Shanghai is making some necessary upgrades in its AIDS prevention efforts.

Two hundred smart condom vending machines have been installed in entertainment venues, markets, residential buildings and business centers in the city's Xuhui District and Pudong to mark Wednesday's World AIDS Day.

Instead of using money, the new machines use smart cards, which are distributed to residents and entertainment workers for free.

Officials say it is still a pilot project but will be extended to more regions if successful.

So far, the commission has distributed 10,000 such cards to entertainment venues and residential areas through district-based facilities.

Employees check the machines and restock them on a regular basis. There is also a hot line number printed on the machines for contraceptive knowledge and AIDS consultation.

The commission has established 16,000 free condom distributing spots in the city. Among them, 1,185 centers provide 24-hour service.

About 19.5 percent of locals admitted to using condoms, up from just 9.11 percent in 1995.



(Photo source: Shanghai Daily)

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