A cozy room embracing those living with HIV/AIDS

BEIJING, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- "Liu Xicheng (pseudonym) became a father. It's a healthy baby girl," exclaimed Han Jing, secretary-general of Beijing-based Home of Red Ribbon. Clutching her phone, she hurried into the office, eager to share this delightful news with everyone.

Liu is a young man from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China, who contracted HIV/AIDS in Beijing four years ago. After his diagnosis, Liu was consumed by remorse, unsure how to broach the subject with his fiancée back in his hometown.

"Would she accept me like this? Would her family agree with our marriage?" Anxious and restless, Liu sought help from Home of Red Ribbon, hoping to disclose his condition to his fiancée at its office.

Home of Red Ribbon is devoted to providing comprehensive care for people living with HIV/AIDS. A dedicated room has been designed in its office premises to accommodate individuals affected by the disease.

Inside the room, a snack shelf labeled "Energy Supply Station" stands to the left, brown leather sofas are placed on three sides of the room, while pictures on the walls silently convey the stories that unfolded here.

This comforting haven has witnessed many HIV-infected individuals informing their families of their infection in the company of the staff.

To ensure a smooth experience, Han and her team simulated various possible scenarios for Liu, providing him with a sense of preparedness.

On the day the news was expected to be revealed, Liu had braced himself for the worst. However, to his surprise, his fiancée, who outwardly seemed fragile, appeared remarkably composed after being well-informed by Han and her colleagues. "AIDS can be managed," she said calmly.

Encouraged by his fiancée, Liu started to receive treatment, and the viral load in his body could be reduced to a level that was undetectable. After getting married and with the help of doctors, the couple welcomed a healthy baby early this year. Upon the arrival of their newborn, Liu hurried to share the joyous news with Han.

Nowadays, most of the HIV-infected maintain stable conditions under proper treatment, yet some individuals still grapple with significant mental blows, said Shi Junjie, an AIDS case manager of Beijing Ditan Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University.

"These patients need the support of their families and those around them to face life with confidence," Shi said.

Home of Red Ribbon epitomizes the humanitarian care provided by Chinese social organizations to those affected by HIV/AIDS. Throughout China, similar organizations or initiatives are available in nearly every city, offering care services to the country's 1.223 million HIV-infected individuals.

For many individuals receiving services at Home of Red Ribbon, the warm counseling room is their "second home." Every day, visitors drop by to connect with the staff or volunteers, who have become not just service-providers but also friends, engaging in conversations.

"There are things that people with HIV/AIDS prefer not to discuss with their families but may want to share with us. Having someone to talk to always makes them feel better," said Mu Mu, a volunteer at Home of Red Ribbon for 13 years.

Mu Mu once brought an AIDS patient to the hospital. It was two in the morning then and the patient had been suffering a prolonged high fever. In the middle of the night, when no one was around, Mu Mu was the first person that the patient wanted to call for help.

Among the individuals Mu Mu has assisted, the majority have returned to their regular lives. Some have even become volunteers at Home of Red Ribbon.

This non-governmental organization now has trained over 20,000 volunteers and more than 50 among them provide long-term services for people living with HIV/AIDS.

According to the national administration of disease prevention and control, currently, over 90 percent of people diagnosed with HIV in China are on antiretroviral therapy and over 95 percent of those on treatment have reached viral load suppression, enabling the overall national HIV/AIDS incidence rate to remain at a low level.

However, although HIV/AIDS is preventable and controllable nowadays, many people still shudder at the mere mention of it outside the confines of the red ribbon home.

China's laws explicitly forbid any discrimination against HIV carriers, AIDS patients, or their families. These groups of people are entitled by law to the right to marriage, employment, medical treatment, education, and more, just like everyone else.

"The society is like a big tree. If each one of us extends our branches and leaves even just a little, we may be able to shelter others from the storm," said Xiong Hao, associate professor at Fudan University Law School.

Xiong urges everyone in the society to treat the HIV-positive community in a calm, scientific and inclusive manner and combat the epidemic with solidarity.

"We should strive to create an equal and friendly social environment for people with HIV/AIDS through concrete action and help them lead a normal life beyond the red ribbon home," Han said.