Chinese city-dwellers are ignorant about their risk of contracting AIDS and may be primed to spread the fatal and incurable virus, according to an Internet poll scheduled for release on Friday.

The Zogby poll shows more than a third of Chinese men who answered admitted they go to prostitutes and found that men and women alike rarely discussed AIDS with their sex partners.

"The survey reveals some cause for concern, as respondents present a dangerous mixture of complacency and ignorance about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV/AIDS," Zogby International said in a statement.

"Too many Chinese lack the information and life skills that they need to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS."

The Zogby International/MFC Insight pollsters surveyed 3,753 adults aged 18 to 54 in March. About two-thirds were male and 45 percent were married.

Zogby is a U.S.-based polling company while MFC Insight is a Chinese company specializing in Internet surveys.

The survey "found a widespread lack of knowledge about behaviors that can lead to sexually transmitted disease transmission while 37 percent of men surveyed say that they patronize commercial sex workers," Zogby said in a statement.

"Only one-third of those surveyed 'always' discuss HIV/AIDS and other STDs with potential sexual partners."

More than 40 million people are infected with the incurable and fatal human immunodeficiency virus. HIV killed more than 3 million people in 2005, according to the United Nations.

Populous China reports only 650,000 cases, half of them among intravenous drug users, but in other places the epidemic has moved from drug users into the general population through sex.

"Observers point to a dangerous intersection of intravenous drug use and paid sex in China that increases the risk of a more generalized epidemic," Zogby said.

"Overall, survey respondents are more urban, wealthy, educated, and male than China's total population, but their responses provide some interesting insights into sexual behavior in the world's most populous nation."

The researchers said their findings show an urgent need for better sex education in China.