The issue of sex education for adolescents became a spotlight for discussion among several sexuality experts. The lack of practical sex ed textbooks and professional sex ed teachers, according to the experts, is the major problem for adolescent sex education in China. Besides, sex education for adolescents needs to be more standardized.

According to sexuality experts, some foreign countries are quite open with issues related to sex. For instance, when adolescents spend nights outside the home, mums will make sure their draughts have condoms with them and that they know how to protect themselves. Issues of sex are not to be avoided or forbidden (interviewer: a popular viewpoint today is that sex is a relevant issue from the age of 1 to 100). The majority of Chinese, however, believe that talking about sex causes children to engage in romantic and/or sexual activities too early. Experts also point out that the major problem for adolescent sex education is the lack of practical sex ed textbooks and professional sex ed teachers. Concurrently with the socio-economic development, a sex revolution is in progress in our society. However in reality, youth and adolescents receive very little education on sex-related issues (from the on-site journalist: experts say that today’s youth and adolescents have an exceptionally high level of sexual activity whereas their sex-related knowledge is surprisingly lacking.) It has been shown that college students lack sex-related knowledge to a surprising degree as well, and some do not know the basics such as the function and size of male condoms. In Guangdong province, hotels and rooms for rental in the neighborhood of some universities are always booked at weekends by students. Providing these sexually active college students with safe sex education, and specifically on how to protect themselves sexually from unwanted pregnancy, STIs and HIV/AIDS, becomes a pressing need.
(Reported by Wang Rui)
Source: Guangzhou TV

China AIDS Info is a non-commercial, non-profit website. All information and news is provided in the public interest and is strictly for personal, academic, or other non-commercial use.