Dr. Hong Examines HIV Infection in Voluntary Blood Donors in China

Yan Hong, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) School of Rural Public Health, conducted a meta-analysis on the prevalence and trend of HIV infection in voluntary blood donors in China since the implementation of the Blood Donation Law in the country.

Dr. Hong and her fellow researchers found increasing HIV infection in blood donors with significant variability across regions. The pooled prevalence was 13.22 per 100,000 with a range of 0.74 to 126 per 100,000.  The increase in detected HIV positive blood donors reflected better monitoring of blood supply and the increasing HIV epidemic in the country. The majority of HIV positive blood donors were under 30 years of age and infected through sexual transmission. This is the first known research study conducted concerning the issue.

“Efficient measures need to be taken urgently to prevent HIV test-seeking through blood donor programs, to promote voluntary blood donation in low-risk groups and to enforce the Blood Donation Law strictly,” states Dr. Hong.

Co-authors include Dr.’s Xia Huang, Hua Ling and Hongwen Liao from the Chongqing Blood Center and the Chongqing CDC of China; they were also members of the China Delegation visiting TAMHSC-School of Rural Public Health in 2010.

The paper can be found at the Wily Online Library.