A Clinic that offers gay men free AIDS checks and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases opened in Beijing yesterday.

The clinic provides gay men with a pay phone card worth 50 yuan (US$6.25) as reimbursement for each trip they make to the facility for a checkup, the Beijing News reported.

But they first need to log on to the Website (www.hivolunt.net) and fill up an application form, the report said. Then workers at the clinic will arrange for an appointment with the applicants.

The patient must be a gay man who is a permanent Beijing resident or who can visit the clinic regularly for checks and treatment, the newspaper said.

Checks for AIDS and STD, and treatment for STD are free at the facility, the report said.

If a patient is found to have AIDS, the clinic will help him join a national program of free AIDS treatment.

The clinic is in the Disease Prevention and Control Center of Chaoyang District, a sponsor of the program initiated by a local non-governmental AIDS intervention group.

The service will be expanded to other community healthcare centers soon.

(Shanghai Daily October 27, 2006)