A regional regulation on HIV/AIDS control and prevention was passed by provincial legislators in Yunnan province making individuals criminally responsible for hiding their HIV-AIDS status from a partner.

The regulation will take effect on March 1, CCTV News reported on Sunday.

Under the regulation, people infected with HIV or who have AIDS should disclose their status to those who may be exposed to risk, including spouses or sexual partners. Medical health institutions are empowered to reveal the information if the infected fail to do that.

Under the new rule, higher education institutions and secondary vocational schools in Yunnan should incorporate AIDS-prevention knowledge and sex education into the curriculum.

HIV testing services should be included in health checkups in provincial institutions, enterprises and communities, it said.

For residents in seriously affected areas, free HIV tests should be provided before marriage, and people whose jobs bring them into contact with many members of the public should be tested for AIDS every six months.

Zhou Jiaxin in Beijing contributed to the story.