Sex, lies and bribery of doctors

A baseless rumor circulated on the Internet about doctors being infected with HIV/AIDS after sex with a pharmaceutical sales woman has reinvigorated debate about medical bribery.

The rumor was so widely published online that it forced Jiangsu provincial hospital to take the extraordinary step of publicly denying any of its staff were infected with the deadly virus. It said the hospital's reputation had been severely damaged by the rumor.

The hospital said that the netizen who fueled the rumor was known to them. The man was once a patient in the hospital's urology unit and was unpleased with his treatment, it said.