A survey on the reproductive health of Shanghai
students launched last July is being obstructed by university
authorities, some of whom object to the idea that their
undergraduates might think “too much” about sex.
“At least seven prestigious universities have
rejected the survey,” said a researcher from the Shanghai Andrology
Institute, “Some said it was because it would involve disclosing
private information, some asked for payment, and some even said the
survey would disturb students’ minds, making them indulge in sexual
fantasy.”
The survey, sponsored by the Shanghai Municipal
Committee of Population and Family Planning, aims to get accurate
information on students’ sexual health, behaviors and levels of
awareness to better inform education initiatives.
So far, less than half the planned work has been
completed.
The questionnaire is anonymous and designed to
gauge knowledge of issues such as reproduction and sexually
transmitted infections as well as students’ sexual behavior, the
institute’s Dr. Chen Bin told the Shanghai-based Oriental
Morning Post.
Chen said some universities refused to distribute
the questionnaires among students after seeing phrases like
“premarital sex” and “contraception.”
To provide useful data, the researchers need to
retrieve 5,000-6,000 questionnaires: 500 from each large university
and 300 each from smaller institutions. There needs to be a good
gender balance, and respondents have to come from all majors and
years of study.
Only 2,000 have been returned so far from four
universities, though this has been with an even gender split and
has covered all grades.
The survey includes frank questions on the rhythm
method of contraception, how to calculate the safety period of the
menstrual cycle, masturbation and content of sexual fantasies,
perceptions of classmates’ sexual activeness and awareness of
methods of protected sex.
“Problems uncovered so far are rather serious,”
said Chen, since many students’ main source of information was
pornography rather than balanced and realistic sources, and their
knowledge of basic sexual health was generally poor.
The researcher said that some had never heard of
the rhythm method and “ninety percent hoped their universities
would run elective courses on sexual health.”
Chen called for universities in Shanghai to give
their support to the survey as soon as possible so that it may
provide the data needed to inform work that would help improve
students’ sexual health.
(China.org.cn by Zhang Tingting, April 6, 2005)