A local health authority's decision to lecture sex workers in a bid to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS has ignited another round of public debate on prostitution.

The Harbin Disease Prevention and Control Centre's Aids Prevention and Control Institute in Heilongjiang organized three AIDS awareness lectures, addressing more than 180 prostitutes.

The latest one was held last Wednesday in Harbin, with more than 50 sex workers accompanied by their "bosses" usually the managers of local entertainment centers attending a 2-hour lecture covering AIDS prevention, the importance of using a condom and how to use one properly.

After the lecture the centre's staff distributed free boxes of condoms to the attendees, along with the centre's phone number in case they had any further queries.

The event caused uproar in the city after a local paper reported on it, with many people appalled by the open recognition given to the illegal sex industry, which they saw as encouraging prostitution.

Others poured scorn on local police for their inability to crack down on prostitution.

But residents were more understanding about the trade. "Since they (prostitutes) do exist and can't be banned effectively, it is better to face the music directly," the Harbin Daily quoted one local resident as saying.

Wen Yingchun, director of the AIDS Prevention and Control Institute, who gave the lectures, said it was "irresponsible" to neglect these sex workers, as they are one of the highest risk groups of people in terms of the incidence of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

"With such people existing, we must shoulder the responsibility to promote necessary prevention knowledge," Wen was quoted by local media as saying.

An official from the centre surnamed Fu said that the exposure had "seriously disrupted their normal work," with reporters pouring in for interviews.

"We are not the first organization to adopt such measures," he said, adding there are already similar lectures in Beijing and Shanghai.

"What we did is following successful experiences around the world," he said.

Earlier last month, western China's Chongqing Municipality caused a stir by ordering all recreation and entertainment venues that offer sex services within five of its districts to provide condoms.

Many challenged the move as an attempt to legitimize prostitution.

Fang Qiang, a sexologist from China Sexology Association said: "Facing the status quo in China especially with the aim of maximizing efforts to curb the spread of HIV and other venereal diseases though legalizing sex workers may have a bad influence, we have to do it.

"It is picking the lesser of two evils."

(China Daily 10/17/2006 page3)