A CASE STUDY OF HIV PREVENTION IN REFORM-ERA SHANGHAI : FROM A RISK TO AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to understand how the transformations taking place in reform-era Shanghai affected HIV/AIDS from a prevention perspective, both in terms of risks and opportunities. Three main questions were asked: what is the situation of HIV/AIDS in Shanghai, how are the transformations taking place in Shanghai during the reform era contributing to the creation of a risk environment, and how can an enabling environment emerge out of the reform-era context. Primary data was collected during an eleven-month fieldwork in Shanghai, and an environmental analytical framework was used to guide our analysis. We found that the rapid development of Shanghai since the last 1990s was also accompanied by a serious increase in sexually transmitted infections and, more recently, HIV/AIDS. The greater influence of globalization processes in the open-door policy context combined with certain institutional changes would have contributed to the creation of a risk environment in Shanghai. On the other hand, we have argued that the emergence of new players and new tools in the reform era is promising from a prevention perspective, especially if current barriers to multi-sectoral participation and cooperation are removed.