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Rural-to-Urban Migrants and the HIV Epidemic in China

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China is the next probable frontier for the global HIV epidemic. Central to this anticipated growth of the epidemic is the nation's new and growing population of rural-to-urban migrants. Although there are an estimated 120 million migrants, little information is available about their social and cultural context of their lives in urban areas and their HIV-related perceptions and behaviors. On the basis of the in-depth individual interviews conducted among 90 rural-to-urban migrants in 2 major Chinese cities, Beijing and Nanjing, this qualitative study was designed to explore these issues with a particular focus on their relevance to sexual transmission of HIV. The findings suggest an urgent need for HIV/STI prevention programs that address the cultural, social, and economic constraints facing the migrant population in China.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (grant #R01MH064878). We thank colleagues and graduate students from Beijing Normal University, Nanjing University, and West Virginia University for their participation in instrument development and data collection. We also thank Joanna Zwemer for her assistance with manuscript preparation.

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Correspondence to Yan Hong.

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Hong, Y., Stanton, B., Li, X. et al. Rural-to-Urban Migrants and the HIV Epidemic in China. AIDS Behav 10, 421–430 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-005-9039-5

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