In communist China, sex has you!

[Sinister Rouge]

http://www.slate.com/id/2234600/

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex (But Didn't Learn Because You Grew Up in China)

Despite the one-child policy, millions of Chinese citizens don't know how to have sex without getting pregnant.

By Michelle Tsai
Posted Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009, at 1:47 PM ET BEIJING—The first time Hu Jing tried to have sex with her college boyfriend, there was a technical difficulty. "We knew we had to use a condom," she said. "But we didn't know how."
Faced with this conundrum, Hu and her boyfriend went looking for answers—he from his more experienced friends, she from the university library, where she combed through Dream of the Red Chamber (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385093799?ie=UTF8&tag=slatmaga-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385093799), a literary classic from the Qing Dynasty.
The following week, they reconvened for a second try. This time, they managed to roll on the condom but then … well, where was the penis supposed to go? It took another week of research before they succeeded in doing the deed.
After three decades of the one-child policy (http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1912861,00.html), you'd expect people here to know how to have sex without getting pregnant. And you'd be wrong. In July, Chinese health officials said that 13 million abortions (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-07/30/content_8489656.htm) are performed in registered medical institutions each year, largely because people lack sex education. The number of unwanted pregnancies is even higher when you take into account abortions at unregistered medical clinics, not to mention the 10 million abortion-inducing pills sold each year.
I first met Hu over a cappuccino in Beijing's Financial District, a section of town where gleaming towers and chain restaurants have replaced the old alleyways and courtyard homes (http://www.opendemocracy.net/content/articles/3632/images/hutong_destruction.swf) where families had lived for generations. I had worried that Hu, like most Chinese people, would be uncomfortable talking about sex. But she turned out to be chatty and confident and laughed as she told me her story. When I opened the interview with softball questions, she interrupted and asked, "Don't you want to hear about my experience with sex?"
...
(Continued in link)
Article URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2234600/

[Drawz]

I'm simply stunned that anyone old enough to have sex couldn't figure out the logistics of condom usage.

And I guess they don't do this in china but here in America they literally draw you a friggin picure of how it's done on the box.

[Sinister Rouge]

I'm simply stunned that anyone old enough to have sex couldn't figure out the logistics of condom usage.

And I guess they don't do this in china but here in America they literally draw you a friggin picure of how it's done on the box.


Apparently it's a very sexually repressed society. But as for not being able to figure out the *ahem* mechanics of the act, I've got nothing. I've always found that things figure themselves out pretty quickly.

What I was thinking about was what the pro-lifers felt about this? Most PLs that I know aren't only against abortion, but against sex education and condoms. It seems that at least in this situation, both would be useful to lower the amount of abortions, which I always thought was the primary goal of the pro-life movement.

[Nevarwinter]

"13 million abortions are performed in registered medical institutions each year"

That is a liberals dream, ain't it?

[Sinister Rouge]

"13 million abortions are performed in registered medical institutions each year"

That is a liberals dream, ain't it?


No. Even the most pro-choice liberals I know would prefer that less abortions were performed, just that women should have the choice.
I disagree with that. I'm a liberal and I'm against abortion. But I'd like to find a practical way to stop it. I'd much rather limit the number of unwanted pregnancies through sex education and promotion of proper safe sex techniques. Obviously abstinence is the only fool-proof way to avoid pregnancy, but it's not an effective program--it turns out that people STILL have sex even after being told not to. If it came down to someone using a condom or having an abortion, I'd rather they use the condom every time. They may not be 100%, but knowing how to use them properly is a better protection than nothing.
What it comes down to is whether you want to stop abortions, or stop abortions YOUR way.

[camarozz]

Apparently it's a very sexually repressed society. But as for not being able to figure out the *ahem* mechanics of the act, I've got nothing. I've always found that things figure themselves out pretty quickly.

What I was thinking about was what the pro-lifers felt about this? Most PLs that I know aren't only against abortion, but against sex education and condoms. It seems that at least in this situation, both would be useful to lower the amount of abortions, which I always thought was the primary goal of the pro-life movement.

I think you may be confusing sex ed and condoms being taught in schools, and not in the home where it should be.

Obviously the problem are the moron parents that do not talk to their children; then we as a society have to do it and so far the schools seem to be the next logical place.

I for one "PL" take on the responsibility of teaching my children about sex, and age appropriate filters are in place at the times. The older they get the more information I share(d). I like to think they were ahead of their class by the time the information is passed on at the school.

[ChaosControl]

No. Even the most pro-choice liberals I know would prefer that less abortions were performed, just that women should have the choice.
I disagree with that. I'm a liberal and I'm against abortion. But I'd like to find a practical way to stop it. I'd much rather limit the number of unwanted pregnancies through sex education and promotion of proper safe sex techniques. Obviously abstinence is the only fool-proof way to avoid pregnancy, but it's not an effective program--it turns out that people STILL have sex even after being told not to. If it came down to someone using a condom or having an abortion, I'd rather they use the condom every time. They may not be 100%, but knowing how to use them properly is a better protection than nothing.
What it comes down to is whether you want to stop abortions, or stop abortions YOUR way.

I am all for sex education if it lowers abortion, I'm for anything that lowers abortions. I do think abstinence should be promoted the most, but then you still need to have the sex education as a just in case sort of thing. It goes beyond the classroom though, we need to be a society that encourages abstinence more, right know we're a pretty hedonistic society.

[HoracioMendez]

Easiest way to solve this problem would be to get more Chinese people internet access. They'd know more about sex than they'd care to in an hour.

[DLaw911]

"13 million abortions are performed in registered medical institutions each year"

That is a liberals dream, ain't it?That's a very uncalled for statement!

And keep in mind China had a one-child rule. Not only is it a basis for poliktical asylum in the US, for those who do stick around in China and face the consequences GOVERNMENT ordered abortion is one solution employed.

[Sinister Rouge]

I think you may be confusing sex ed and condoms being taught in schools, and not in the home where it should be.

Obviously the problem are the moron parents that do not talk to their children; then we as a society have to do it and so far the schools seem to be the next logical place.

I for one "PL" take on the responsibility of teaching my children about sex, and age appropriate filters are in place at the times. The older they get the more information I share(d). I like to think they were ahead of their class by the time the information is passed on at the school.


I think with proper sex education, condoms would be discussed. Comprehensive sex education starts early, with age appropriate subjects. For example, in kindergarten you would teach kids about private parts and "bad touches." At around 10 or 12 you would give then the "birds and the bees" talk. Sometime in highschool you would instruct them on birth control techniques--proper usage, failure rates, STDs, etc.

If the parents were doing their job, the schools wouldn't have to step up. Obviously both the parents and the schools are dropping the ball here.

What your doing with your kids sounds like a good plan. But sadly, many parents don't bother teaching their kids about sex--I never got The Talk from my folks. I ended up learning it from friends, which led to me believing in things that turned out to be false.

[gdoane]

My first experience with government sex education was in the US Navy with the old "Men, Don't Let THIS Happen To You" spiel and it didn't work all that well because sick call still had plenty of customers who did let that happen to them.

It's not the place of government to raise children, that's the job of parents and nobody else. If the parents don't see fit to subject their children to that, then nobody should force the issue.