College vending machines sell HIV self-testing kits

As the HIV/AIDS epidemic begins to affect more young Chinese, the nation's health and education authorities are teaming up to install vending machines with HIV self-testing kits on university campuses to help raise awareness and fight the disease, officials said.

Ten Chinese universities in Beijing, the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Heilongjiang, and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region have joined the initiative, which many call "progressive" since sex remains an uncomfortable subject and a systematic sex education program is still lacking.

"We can not wait to act, even though it's difficult. Otherwise we put the students' health at risk," said Shen Jie, deputy director of the Chinese Association of STD and AIDS Prevention and Control, which is leading the initiative.