The ban on people with HIV/AIDS entering public bathhouses will be revoked if it is proved that others will not get infected, an official with the Ministry of Commerce who was involved in making the draft responded Monday.

Public opinion will be collected and analyzed, and experts will be invited to evaluate the rationality and practicality of the draft, said the official, reported the Beijing News.

The official explained that the purpose of carrying out the ban was due to public health concerns.

"This means that the ministry was not even sure whether the virus could be transmitted in public bathhouses before making the draft, which shows discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS," a Net user by the name of Shenden commented on Sina Weibo.

The Global Times did not receive a response from the Ministry of Commerce as of press time.

Experts have reassured the public by denying the possibilities of HIV/AIDS infection by skin contact or possible transmission through urine and sweat in public bathhouses, said Wu Zunyou, director of the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The debate means that some people still lack knowledge about HIV/AIDS, and the argument could help them learn about it, Wu told the Global Times.

However, Wu pointed out that public bathhouses are common venues for homosexual sex, which is a highly risky way for transmission.


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