PIP: HIV infections are spreading rapidly among women in China. Women are viewed as more susceptible to HIV infections due to their social status and other characteristics. The physical attributes that increase transmission to women are the open genital configuration and the higher density of HIV infection in men's semen. Women are also more likely to be recipients of blood transfusions because of hemorrhage and anemia during pregnancy and childbirth. Increases in transmission in China are due to prostitution. The lack of symptoms among HIV carriers means sex partners do not know. Prostitutes are not aware generally about their male partners' high risk behavior, such as drug use or HIV infection. Illiteracy is a major reason for lack of information about HIV infections among prostitutes. Women may request condom use, but men may refuse. Premarital sex and having multiple partners increases the risk of transmission. The only effective measure for preventing the spread of AIDS is a health education campaign and improved education. The World Health Organization (WHO) is engaged in a global effort to improve women's status in their social, economic, and political lives. WHO declared a readiness to work with women's groups in preventing AIDS and to provide information to groups and individuals about the danger of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. A study in 1993 revealed that only 34.8% of prostitutes in Beijing, Dalian, Nanjing, and Xian were aware that condoms could protect against HIV infections. 45% never used condoms. 71.1% viewed condoms as useful contraceptives and only secondarily as protection against sexually transmitted diseases or AIDS. Almost 39% of prostitutes' partners agreed to use condoms. 8% agreed only with a decrease in the price of services. 48.2% refused. 68% believed themselves to be at little risk of contracting HIV. WHO estimated that 1 million women became infected with HIV in 1993. Almost 50% of new adult HIV carriers are women. By the year 2000, 13 million women will be HIV infected, and about 4 million women will have died of AIDS. 18.5 million people are currently infected worldwide, and 4.5 million people have AIDS. China, by mid-1995, had 1774 reported cases of HIV and AIDS.