AIDS is only the most recent case.

The recent death of singer Gao Feng reveals a common tendency among Chinese to associate AIDS with an immoral life-style. The singer, who died of PCP viral pneumonia, was suspected of being an AIDS victim, because this kind of pneumonia is a regular killer among AIDS patients. It was not long before the Gao's moral propriety was questioned.

In fact, this seemingly plausible suspicion has little medical support according to some specialists. I do not intend to focus on this question here, however. My interest is rather directed towards the underlying mentality behind the rumours, which are indicative of a widespread attitude towards AIDS.

When the wife of the UN General Secretary Annan talked with some Chinese AIDS patients and shook hands with them, a Chinese official standing behind her whispered to her, "take care, he's an AIDS patient."

Such is the intolerable but common prejudice we have against AIDS patients.

Statistics show that although more Chinese are better informed about AIDS, many still believe they would risk of contracting the disease if they dine with AIDS patients.

Is the fear of infection, then, the only factor shaping our negative attitudes towards AIDS patients?

Of course not. We certainly do not have the same amount of prejudice about flu patients, even though they could infect us with a single cough.

The underlying fact is that we still haven't learned how to live and let live.

Confronted by AIDS we are like ignorant and bad-tempered children.

Some of the better educated declare themselves "less" prejudiced because they only discriminate against those getting the disease through immoral behaviour, while sympathizing with those infected in "innocent" ways, such as blood transfusion.

What a good theory and what kind people! We are screening our patients by moral standards! How ridiculous it is, therefore, that we should have doctors in our prisons where there are so many prostitutes and drug-users!

Our interest is in why and how people get AIDS - through poor quality condoms or syringes - instead of the disease itself. We forget the fact that a flu patient may get the flu after kissing a prostitute, an important aspect of the situation if the logic underlying prevailing attitudes towards AIDS patients has any merit.

We forget that to have one's diseases cured is a basic human right, as is the right to be given at least a minimum of respect. In this sense, an AIDS patient is in the same position as a flu patient, a hepatitis patient, or any other kind of patient. We don't discriminate against someone if they have flu, do we?

Our understanding of AIDS patients does not mean sympathizing with illegal or immoral behaviours, it just expresses a humane attitude toward other members of society.

To misunderstand and discriminate against them it pushes them into a confrontation with society.

AIDS is more than just a medical problem. To better cope with it we should develop a sensibility informed by a true knowledge of AIDS and a deep consensus on how we should live with each other.

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