Case Details
On November 30, 2025, a health authority in an unspecified Chinese city released a case report involving a 17-year-old male student, referred to by the pseudonym Xiao Zhang, who had recently achieved scores qualifying him for a key university.
In June, following his university entrance examinations, Xiao Zhang connected with an adult male through a social app. After approximately one week of online communication, the two met in person, during which unprotected sexual contact occurred. About one week later, Xiao Zhang developed persistent fever exceeding 38.5°C, fatigue, sore throat, and muscle pain. Initially self-treating for a common cold, his condition worsened to 39.2°C with night sweats and coughing.
Xiao Zhang subsequently purchased home test kits, which returned positive results on two consecutive tests. He then informed his parents and attended a local Center for Disease Control and Prevention for professional testing. Following enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay screening and confirmatory laboratory testing, an HIV-positive result was confirmed three days later.
Contact Tracing
Epidemiological investigators attempted to trace the source of infection using the limited information Xiao Zhang could provide. However, as no contact details had been exchanged and the partner's online account had since been deactivated, tracing efforts were inconclusive and the transmission chain could not be confirmed.
Contextual Background
Xiao Zhang reported having received no systematic sexual health education during secondary school and having no prior knowledge of HIV transmission routes or preventive measures. Health authorities noted that similar cases have been reported across multiple regions in recent years, predominantly involving young people who meet partners through social apps during or after the university entrance exam period and engage in unprotected sexual contact.
Asian Editorial Department: Lu Junxiu