A real scary thought

[skibum]

I was just talking with my love when she happened to mention that when she went for her HIV test in Shanghai that they were reusing the plungers and just changing the needles. She insisted on a completely new unit which they used. You may want to pass this info along to the girls that have not yet had their tests.

She is the same way when she goes to the DDS there - insists on new stuff. You cannot be too careful.

[Mick]

The repeated use of needles is not uncommon in China. At the university clinic on the campus where I worked, it was not uncommon for employees to reuse the same needles but sign out for new ones. They then sold the new ones for personal profit. It finally came to light and the employees were fired and later the entire clinic was staffed with new personnel. It was too late, however, for those who had already been stuck with the old needles. A word to the wise, always insist on new needles and syringes. Whenever I had to have blood drawn or injections, I always visited a reputable drug shop and bought my own and took them to the clinic. I insisted that they use the ones I had brought.

[AngryTexan]

Skibum,

You raise a very valid point. The reuse of hypodermic syringes and needles in China is a MAJOR public health problem, and probably accounts for the fact that China has a hepatitis A infection rate that is SIXTY (60) times higher than the U.S., as recently reported in the NY Times. And with the spread of HIV in China, you really cannot be too careful.

I hope that I have not offended any of the Chinese wives or fiancees by making these remarks, but it's not something that should be ignored.

[MarkLuvsShuPing]

Now there's a little tidbit of info that I might be able to use.

 

I was fully expecting to have to undergo a physical when I go to China in order to get married. I just read about a new law that a physical is no longer required to get married. Even so, I don't know what to expect when we go to get the marriage license, we may be told that we need one. Now I know to bring my own syringe and needle.

 

A healthy Mark is a happy Mark. Thanks again guys.

[dvs7310]

Wow, I'm glad you guys brought this up. I would have never thought of it and I'm sure my wife would have not have thought twice about it. That is really scary. Does anyone know if the clinics generally object to us accompanying our wives during the exams so we can help keep an eye on things?

[Mick]

Wow, I'm glad you guys brought this up. I would have never thought of it and I'm sure my wife would have not have thought twice about it. That is really scary. Does anyone know if the clinics generally object to us accompanying our wives during the exams so we can help keep an eye on things?

It really depends on the clinic. Most that I encountered did object in fact, unless you knew someone there who had a degree of influence. I once got into a real brouhaha with a doctor in a clinic in Hefei because I felt she was not treating Li appropriately. I ended up going all the way to the hospital administrator. It all turned out ok. Most clinics, however, may object to you accompanying her into the exam area. Especially if it is a women's clinic.

[keelec]

You raise a very valid point.  The reuse of hypodermic syringes and needles in China is a MAJOR public health problem, and probably accounts for the fact that China has a hepatitis A infection rate that is SIXTY (60) times higher than the U.S., as recently reported in the NY Times.  And with the spread of HIV in China, you really cannot be too careful.

Hepatitis A is generally Fecal-Oral transmission. Fortunatley, it is almost always an "Acute" Hit and Run infection, and not long term.

 

The more dangerous infections are Hep B & Hep C that are typically blood borne, and can be with you for the rest of your life.

 

I have heard that acupuncture can also be a high risk of some of the blood borne pathogens.

 

----- Clifford ----

[hypoclear]

Now there's a little tidbit of info that I might be able to use.

 

I was fully expecting to have to undergo a physical when I go to China in order to get married.  I just read about a new law that a physical is no longer required to get married.  Even so, I don't know what to expect when we go to get the marriage license, we may be told that we need one.  Now I know to bring my own syringe and needle.

 

A healthy Mark is a happy Mark.  Thanks again guys.

Hi Mark this is Mark. I just now asked my wife Bea, who I married here in China. She says the new policy started in oct. and you no longer need the blood tests and physical to get married. She just added that you may need to be tested for HIV which she will check into and I would think you could have done in the states and just bring the results with you and have translated into chinese here if needed.

 

We were tested here at a clinic in her home town last year. It is a known fact that some small towns, where people sell blood for income have been infected this way. The selling of clean ones by clinic people is new to me but does not suprise me.

 

I can understand some peoples desire to be "polite" in discussing this and not wanting to "Offend" but please lets be real..! HIV does cause death and that means the person who does sell or reuse is more or less a killer.

[keelec]

An interesting topic about HIV/AIDS.

 

Traditionally China and Russia have been big WHITE spots on the AIDS prevalence rate maps:

 

http://www.cdpc.com/95rates.htm (< 0.01% prevalence rate in 1995).

 

Apparently this is increasing SIGNIFICANTLY with “Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region is experiencing the world’s fastest-growing HIV/AIDS epidemic”

 

http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ECA/ECSHD.nsf...0Summary%20.pdf

 

Apparently the number of cases in the region increased by about 25% last year.

 

The new prevalence rates (2002? Now paints a much different picture):

http://www.geographyiq.com/ranking/ranking...e_rate_aall.htm

 

#1 Botswana 35.8% of population with AIDS

#6 South Africa 19.94%

#29 The Bahamas 4.13%

#55 Ukraine 0.96%

#60 USA 0.61%

#76 Canada 0.30%

#78 Mexico 0.29%

#84 China 0.20%

#90 Russia 0.18%

#102 United Kingdom 0.11%

#122 Hong Kong 0.06%

Bottom 21, #145 - #165 (0.01%)

Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Yemen

 

The USA certainly doesn’t do well with the rankings, although according to the hard to read 1995 chart, things haven’t changed much since 1995.

 

China and Russia, however, have about 1/3 the prevalence rate of AIDS. Unfortunately, they are showing staggering annual increases of the rate.

 

_________________________________________________________________

 

Hmmm, the above site with rankings is very interesting. Here are a few other selected statistics.

 

Unemployment Rates:

-------------------------

Mexico – 3%

Ukraine – 3.6%

USA – 5%

Russia – 8%

China – 10%

Zimbabwe – 60%

Liberia – 70%

 

Birth Rates

#1 Bulgaria – 8.05 births / 1000 . . . . -1.11% population growth

#3 Italy – 8.93 births / 1000 . . . . . . . . . 0.05% population growth

#5 Germany – 8.99 births / 1000. . . . . .0.26% population growth

#13 Russia – 9.71 births / 1000 . . . . . -0.33% population growth

#56 United States – 14.1 births / 1000 . 0.89% population growth

#67 China – 15.85 births / 1000 . . . . . . 0.87% population growth

#117 Mexico – 22.36 births / 1000 . . . . 1.47% population growth

#189 Afghanistan – 41.03 births / 1000 3.43% population growth

#202 Liberia – 45.93 births / 1000 . . . . . 1.91% population growth

#204 Somalia – 46.83 births / 1000 . . . 3.46% population growth

#208 Niger – 49.95 births / 1000 . . . . . . 2.7% population growth

 

It is interesting that China and the USA are so close together with the birth rate and population growth, as well as how much of Europe is doing better than us in limiting their birth rates.

 

----- Clifford ------

[MarkLuvsShuPing]

Now there's a little tidbit of info that I might be able to use.

 

I was fully expecting to have to undergo a physical when I go to China in order to get married.  I just read about a new law that a physical is no longer required to get married.  Even so, I don't know what to expect when we go to get the marriage license, we may be told that we need one.  Now I know to bring my own syringe and needle.

 

A healthy Mark is a happy Mark.  Thanks again guys.

Hi Mark this is Mark. I just now asked my wife Bea, who I married here in China. She says the new policy started in oct. and you no longer need the blood tests and physical to get married. She just added that you may need to be tested for HIV which she will check into and I would think you could have done in the states and just bring the results with you and have translated into chinese here if needed.

 

Hi Mark,

 

Thanks to Bea for confirming that. I recently had an HIV test done and I will bring it along, just in case.

[frank1538]

#84 China 0.20%

While I do not doubt that HIV is less of a problem in China than elsewhere, I wonder how much the statistics are skewed due to inacurate reporting.

 

Remember SARS?

 

In any event, the thought or reuseable syringes and needles scares the hell out of me.

[Robert S.]

I distinctly remember that the person who drew blood in Dalian at the clinic where we went for our pre-marriage blood tests used a new needle and kit when she drew blood from me and I assume she did the same for Ping. (And she was the best phlebotomist I have ever seen, she drew the blood from a vein which was not even visible, she had such a profound understanding of what she was doing.) Also I have no doubt that the authorized clinics where Chinese visa applicants must go for their physical exams practice proper sterile techniques. Other than that, I appreciate this warning to be remembered in the future.

[Orrin]

Given my experience with healthcare during the 3 years I spent in China, I'm surprised that they even bothered to change the needle. Where else but China would you find a maternity and pediatric hospital with an open sewer running right through the middle of it???

[tonado]

Shanghai Tackles Tainted Blood

 

Contaminated blood products remain one of the major channels for spreading HIV/AIDS in Shanghai, and at least 54 local hemophilia patients have been diagnosed with the deadly virus after coming in contact with contaminated blood.

 

To help these victims, the local government has provided free medical treatment and a monthly subsidy of 1,000 yuan (US$121.07) since 2002.

 

According to the latest statistics from the city's Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 6.5 percent of Shanghai's 886 HIV carriers and AIDS patients contracted the virus via contaminated blood products.

 

Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder caused by a clotting deficiency, and supplying the coagulation factor is the main treatment for the disease.

 

Local hemophilia patients suspected they were infected with HIV after using the eighth blood coagulation factor produced by Shanghai Bioproducts Research Centre, the nation's major blood product producer.

 

In China all blood products, including the coagulation factor, were treated with deactivation technology until July 1995 when the Ministry of Health forbad the technology because it failed to kill the HIV virus.

 

Hemophilia patient Taotao was the first reported AIDS victim in 1998 and died two years later at the age of 15.

 

According to Wu Zhongze, Taotao's father, a total of 11 hemophilia patients have died but they didn't receive a HIV test before death.

 

Since 2000, hemophilia patients and their family members have struggled to obtain compensation and better medical treatment.

 

"It's very hard to bring these cases to court; for a period of time local courts didn't accept such cases," said a local lawyer who requested anonymity.

 

After three years the Changning District Intermediate Court ruled that Wu qualified for 100,000 yuan (US$1,210) as compensation for his son's death.

 

(China Daily December 2, 2003)

[Martytb]

I have mentioned my wife is a doctor. They have her working out of a little whole in the wall clinic in a not so nice part of town. She's the only doctor and has two nurses. I spent a lot of time hanging out at the clinic waiting for her to see some patients and do some bookkeeping. (that's also where the computer was to keep in touch with home)

The only thing they seem to do to treat people, no matter what the ailment, was an IV. Everybody got one.

The place looked like hell, with nasty linens and ancient equipment.

I wouldn't bring a dog there.............. but some of her patients brought dogs for treatment!!!!

The one bright spot is they always used a new needle for the IV's. (even on the dogs)

Unfortunately disposal was a little too casual. All went in the regular garbage

 

Oh and the dogs got better.