Young professional Mr Lang from Henan in Central China, discovered he was HIV positive six years ago.
“I just went for a regular check up. That's when I found out I was HIV positive. I was shocked and felt helpless.”
But he’s not taking anti-retroviral drugs, instead Mr Lang uses traditional Chinese medicine - or TCM.
Every day he takes a medicine called, Yi Ai Kang, which is designed to increase his white blood cell count.
“After taking Yi Ai Kang a lot of my indicators were normal, so I'm more like a carrier but not infectious, and the disease hasn't affected my work and living,” says Mr Lang.
He regularly attends check-ups at a TCM hospital in Zhengzhou, Henan.
It’s a major research centre for TCM treatment of AIDS and HIV.
During the 1990s a blood-selling scheme triggered an epidemic throughout the province.
Access to antiretroviral medicines was limited, and in the scandal's aftermath doctor Xu Liran was invited to the hospital to develop TCM treatments to combat the disease.
“Western medicine kills and suppresses the virus. TCM improves the immune system, the patients quality of life and prolongs lifespan,” says Dr Xu, who also treats Mr. Lang.
Xu Liran says they are most effective when used together with western medicines, but there are cases when they are prescribed alone.
“From the results from our clinic we statistically saw a 50 percent improvement in symptoms, or better.”
Chinese volunteers wear jackets decorated with blown-up condoms during the Great AIDS Walk. Source: AAP
TCM has divided opinion worldwide
Critics say studies haven't been large enough in scale and lack scientific collaboration between western and Chinese professionals.
The World Health Organisation has advised caution, saying, "WHO only recommends anti-retroviral therapies for the treatment for HIV based on systematic reviews of available evidence. Traditional and complementary medicines may have an adjunct role in improving overall patient well-being."
Liu Shi leads a Beijing-based AIDS support network and is HIV positive.
He refuses to use TCM in addition to western drugs, and wouldn’t recommend them to those in his support network.
“Why should I put more pressure on my body with a new medicine? If it's just used as a supplement to improve immunity I don't recommend it,” says Liu Shi.
There are more than half a million people in China affected by HIV or AIDS.
