Fridae

Reporting an increase in new HIV infections in the first quarter this year among gay men in Hong Kong, a government consultant also warned that prevalence of the disease in this group could hit 30 percent by 2020 if left to its own devices. HIV prevalence in this group is estimated at four percent now.

"Be proud and strong - Renew your commitment to safe sex, no exceptions," reads a campaign poster featuring five out and proud gay Asian men from Singapore, the Philipines, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Tahiti.

Gay men - who constitute 7.3 percent of the total HIV/AIDS sufferers in China estimated to number 650,000 in 2005 - will be the first group enlisted to help in a government-initiated program.

While much has been written about Brokeback Mountain about its gay theme, Fridae columnist Alex Au advises viewers to read the short story the movie is based on, and shares some pointers on how one can appreciate the wonderfully layered movie better.

Don Baxter, Executive Director of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO), provides an overview of the 7th International Conference on Aids in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) held in Kobe, Japan last week.

It is estimated that there are about 40 million homosexuals in China today. In part two of this series, Kenneth Tan goes on to examine the issues surrounding the fight against AIDS among men who have sex with men (MSMs) in China.

Giving a new twist to the universally recognised red ribbon, Fridae has launched an online red ribbon campaign to urge users to make a personal commitment towards fighting HIV/AIDS through safer sex.

China will set up its first gay outpatient clinic in Shenzhen; grants marriage licence to second transsexual.