Infected inmates find hope inside prison

HEFEI－Xiao Yu, 30, was sentenced to 15 years' jail for drug trafficking in November 2016. Infected with HIV, he was sure his life would end behind bars. Xiao, not his real name, was suffering from HIV symptoms such as a constant high fever and diarrhea when he was sent to Feihe Prison in Anhui province.

In 2004, the prison became one of the first in China to designate separate wards for HIV-infected prisoners and offer them medical care.

Xiao was diagnosed long before he was detained, but many prisoners were not aware they had the virus until they were jailed. Guo Tao, a doctor who has worked at the prison for 14 years, said after hearing their diagnosis, many inmates give up treatment for two reasons. First, it was painful to receive antiviral treatment. Second, many prisoners did not believe they could outlive their prison terms.

When he was first imprisoned, Xia thought it was meaningless having treatment in prison "because 15 years was too long for me. I would rather die".

"I tried several ways to refuse physical examination in the cell. There were several times I even spat out the medicine I was given," Xiao said.

To persuade Xiao to change his attitude, prison warders had many talks with him. During one such talk, they noticed that the young man showed great interest in dancing and singing.

Born into a small village in northeastern China, Xiao displayed a talent for dancing at a young age and was admitted to a famous dance academy in Beijing after high school. He was even invited to a Singaporean art school as a one-year exchange student for his excellent performance at college.