An expert on AIDS and HIV has said that at least 16 million Chinese women could be married to gay men.

According to Professor Zhang Bei-chuan of Qingdao University, these Chinese wives are struggling to cope with their plight, but are limited or restricted in their endeavours to change because of traditional family values in China. He says pressure to conform forces about 90 percent of homosexual men to get married to women.

The China Daily reports that Xiao Yao, a 29-year-old magazine editor in Xi''an, Shaanxi province, divorced her gay husband in 2008, and now runs a website called "Homeland of gays'' wives", which has 1,200 registered users and provides support and advice.

Professor Zhang says getting their voice heard is the first step to raising public awareness. The gay community in China, however, thinks Professor Zhang''s figures are unsubstantiated and overestimated.