Ronald Reilliu,
Adrian Santaniau
3 Krygina Street Vladivostok,
690065 Russia
Last updated: October 12, 2010
Index of articles, click here.
Although the pornographic novel Jin Ping Mei (The Plum In The Golden Vase) is one of China's ancient literary classics, any buzz about the birds and the bees is still treated as background noise. In fact, the country remains shockingly prudish when it comes to sex.
The Chinese authorities tend to adopt a heavy-handed, moralistic approach towards the sex industry. Last month, police in southern Guangdong province carried out a "shame parade" of suspected prostitutes, marching them barefoot around town while handcuffed and tied together by ropes around their waists. "The sex industry is heavily frowned upon in China," said East China Normal University Education Professor Wu Zunmin. "China has vilified and demonized sex, even though it's a fact of life, often to the detriment of health issues." An example, he said, is that of unmarried teens who dare not tell anyone about their pregnancies because they fear being condemned by society. Instead, many go for illegal abortions which pose huge risks to their health and safety.
Those who favor the legalization of prostitution argue that the ban has the effect of driving it underground. That makes it harder for the government to control the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) - a growing problem in the country.
By the end of last year, 740,000 people in China were living with Aids, according to figures from the United Nations. The Chinese health authorities warned in June that the number of reported cases of syphilis, an infectious disease transmitted via sexual contact or from mother to baby, had soared over the past decade. State media reported nearly 330,000 cases last year, four times the number in 1999. Last year alone, 10,757 newborn babies were infected with syphilis.
To control the rise of STDs, the Ministry of Health released a 10-year working plan in June. But experts said that China cannot afford to keep sweeping discussions about sex under the carpet.
A research report released in May said that sex education and sexual health policies are sorely lacking in the country. This is especially worrying as more young Chinese are becoming sexually active earlier and STDs are on the rise. The report said that 60 percent of unmarried Chinese youth are open to becoming sexually active before marriage, but more than half of them find that their needs for reproductive health services are not being met. This is because family planning services focus mainly on married couples.
A survey of 3,000 teens by the China Youth Daily last week found that most teens learn about sex primarily through their peers and the Internet. Schools and parents were ranked as the least important sources of information. "Most parents find it very hard to talk to their children about sex," said China Family Planning Association international cooperation director Hong Ping. "It's a very deep-rooted taboo." While the Ministry of Education has listed sex education as part of the official curriculum, it is virtually not carried out in most schools. Often, embarrassed teachers get their giggling pupils to read textbook chapters on sex instead.
Index of articles, click here.
Ronald Reilliu,
Adrian Santaniau
3 Krygina Street Vladivostok,
690065 Russia
Last updated: October 12, 2010