An infectious disease prevention and control expert said on Monday that colleges have seen a rise in the number of gay students due to a lack of proper masculine education.

Lu Hongzhou, party chief of the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center is at a seminar. (Photo: China News Service)

Lu Hongzhou, party chief of the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, said at a seminar Monday that the male homosexual community remains a sticking point in the fight against AIDS, making up the majority of new infections in the city.

When asked about probable causes, Lu suggested more research into homosexuality. He said very few men were genetically gay, but rather influenced by their environment, according to clinical research.

A lack of proper education by fathers, predominant feminine characters and 'dressing up' by parents all lead to male hormonal degradation, according to Lu.

AIDS prevention has focused on colleges that have large numbers of homosexual students, he said. Some young men enter the gay circle just out of curiosity, while some even consider it as a fashion, it was added.

Shanghai's health authority had trialed a free-drug-intervention-plan that called on high risk groups to take daily medication to reduce infection, though it was refused by most, Lu said, "despite medical staff clarifying that the drug had no side effects and that is has been used widely in western countries."

A recent survey in Shanghai showed 56.1 percent of homosexuals had unfixed sex partners while 52.5 percent had one night stands with men.