Sex Education in China

Something that I think should take up more space on politico agendas than it actually does. I may not have researched the topic quite as far some would like, so readers, be mildly patient – constrictive criticism and comment is always helpful.

Earlier this year in May, it was featured in published in media, mainly online, that China was awaiting the opening of its first sex theme park in the city of Chongqing, aiming to address taboo surrounding the subject and improve sex education. Within a week, and before the official opening of this “Love Land”, it was reported that it had closed. Reasons given were that residents were unhappy about the so-called visibility of erotic scenarios and found it vulgar.

This is all very fair. I was certainly stunned when I saw pictures of the entrance, featuring a rooftop rotating sculpture of a thong-clad pair of women’s legs.

Entrance of the park (Clickable! For a link to the Guardian's article)

For me, China may not need the blow to the stomach that this park represents, but it certainly needs some cold water in the face of the exponentially increasing cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

It is not uncommon to find polar opposite on the matter.

As China welcomes more and more Western culture, and to some extent adopts it in its own media, young people have their eyes pried open to the sex culture, get curious and, for the lack of a better fitting word, excited. They want to go explore, only to find that they have very little information about sex, or more importantly, safe sex. Doing their own research is somewhat out of the question, because it is “naughty”. Yes? Even so, it is difficult not to have come across any sexual references, and so young people testing the grounds through contact with each other  are at the base (well, not quite) of the STD calamities.

The other end is well illustrated by a married couple, 22 and 24 years old I believe, walking into a clinic, asking why they could not get pregnant. It was soon discovered that they thought sleeping in the same bed would do the trick.

Li Yinhe, an expert on sexual attitudes at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said: “While disapproval of sex stemmed from religion in the west, in China it was largely rooted in a traditional focus on the family instead of individual enjoyment – leading people to deplore premarital and extramarital sex.” [Guardian, picture link]

However, people are not clueless, and while schools still stay away from the topic, some sex education clinics have precariously opened their doors in larger cities, although without accumulating much of an audience. Yet.

Personally, I do feel that the issue is in the government. Most people who can dictate what is taught in school – the best place to start spreading the word if you ask me – grew up when it was all very “hush hush”, and are now reflecting that point of view on society. So perhaps they need to embrace the love (gosh that was corny!) a bit as well.

Or parents will simply have to start having those stereotypically awkward sex talks with their children once they hit puberty, again. Haha!

We are not alone…

… or are we?

Undoubtedly one of the questions that have mesmerised the people of Earth (okay, some of us) for considerable amounts of time, the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence – assuming that it is needed for them to visit us – has paved the way for scientific research grants and cult-labelled entertainment serials alike a long way back.

Personally, I am open to whichever answer is settled on, but would prefer to think that there is something out there. Given the infinitesimal probabilities for any closed system to contain the exact right ingredients and be exposed to the right climate at the right time, the chances may seem slim. Yet in the vastness of our Universe, is there NO way at all the something similar took place in a crevice elsewhere?

In the media, other lifeforms are often portrayed as hostile beings wanting to take over Earth; but if this is really the only life that existed, would you not feel rather vulnerable and almost lonely at the thought that we are, indeed, alone?

Little Green Men? (Img courtesy of University of Wisconsin)

In the news today…1

From today’s copy of The Times newspaper: “…the IAAF (International Association of Atheltics Federations) investigation claimed that the 18-year old athlete had internal testes and no womb or ovaries.”

You may well have guessed that this concerns the current world 800 metres champion, Caster Semenya, and the ongoing gender tests.

Here is a thought: there are categories in championship competitions for men, women and paraplegics, but they do not cater for hermaphrodites (if that is how this case will end); will that not count as a form of discrimination?

Personally, I am a believer in the science of these tests, but I would hate the see the shine dulled – or even eradicated, as a racing ban is being contemplated – for an emerging star.

Addendum to previous post

Some readers have questioned what the actual purpose of my previous post was; I apologise for not clarifying.

The gist of it is that I think people should lay off the criticism towards young people who sit the current GCSE exams, whose underwhelming content supposedly manifests itself as a general lack of comprehensive knowledge. This is generally directed at the students as opposed to the governing bodies who control the contents of the curriculum.

As for the qualifications themselves, I do feel that they are becoming easier. This may stem from wishes to make the subjects more appropriate for the current climate resulting in a loss of relevance towards their original nature.