Wang Qiuyun, a middle-aged woman in Hebi, Henan Province, was dealt a big blow when she was tested HIV positive after suffering from a constant fever for a few days in late 2004.

Astonished, stigmatized and desperate at the news of the immune deficiency virus, Wang wanted to divorce her husband Wang Qiusheng, saying her infectious disease could ruin the rest of his life. But her husband refused.

"We are husband and wife, and even if we cannot always share happiness, in the end we will overcome any hardships," said her husband in an interview with Phoenix TV. His staunch love has encouraged his wife to be even braver in fighting the disease, who later established the Hebi Sunshine Home to comfort more women who are traumatized by the social discrimination against the disease.

In addition to Wang's undaunted sprit which has inspired a multitude of women living with HIV, her husband's invaluable support is also indispensable in helping Wang regain confidence.

However, Wang's husband's choice may have little to do with the mainstream mindset in a society in which discrimination against women, especially those living with or affected by HIV, still prevails.

"The increase in feminization of HIV/AIDS in recent years is a new obstacle preventing gender equality in China," said Julie Broussard, the head of the UN Women China Office.

Broussard conveyed her words last week at a Forum on Women and HIV comprising of research and reports following up the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which China signed in 1980.

According to a key report—Challenges faced by Women and Girls Living with or Affected by HIV in China—conducted for the CEDAW, women and girls in China are less informed about sex, HIV and reproductive health than men and boys. From the 1990s to 2009, the proportion of female-to-male HIV cases rose from 5:1 to 2.3:1 and transmission through sexual intercourse has slowly surpassed drug use as the major cause of the epidemic since 2007, with an increase from 42.3 percent in 2007 to 89.9 percent in 2013.

According to the report, there is insufficient awareness of the risks of HIV infection among sex workers, especially low-income female sex workers. The report also considered the recent local police regulations that treat condom possession as proof of sex work, saying it has made the situation even worse.

The report also found that the true rate of women accessing voluntarily HIV testing and counseling is much lower than men in China.

Therefore, the CEDAW committee recommends that China take measures to eliminate discrimination against women living with HIV and provide support for community women's organizations, said Broussard.

She also advises the government to learn about and understand the needs of the special group of women both in theory and practice.

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