A recent survey found that 17 percent of students in polytechnic schools, aged 15 to 18, in Guangzhou of south China's Guangdong Province, had had a sexual experience, Saturday's China Daily reported.

The poll, conducted by Guangzhou Youth League School, also found that eight percent of those females have been pregnant at least once.

The survey polled 500 students in three polytechnic schools in downtown Guangzhou.

"Polytechnic students don't need to prepare for the cut-throat college entrance examination as other high school students do. I think the ratio in polytechnics must be higher than other high schools," said Zuo Bin, a teacher with Guangzhou Youth League School and also the organizer of the survey.

The students who have sexual experiences are mostly those whose parents are divorced or too busy to take good care of their children, he said.

A large number of female students have sex to show their affection for their boyfriends and most of them do not use any contraception, which leads to a high rate of pregnancy among the female students who have had sexual experiences.

Zuo's viewpoint is advocated by many obstetric doctors in Guangzhou. "Our hospital always sees a surge of teenagers who come to have an abortion every summer vacation," said Song Luyin, an obstetric doctor with Guangdong Women and Children's Hospital.

"Some of them have come again and again for abortions, although we have warned them of the necessity to take contraceptive measures," she said. "I'm afraid their health will be harmed and their fertility influenced sooner or later."

The number of teenagers who have abortions probably exceeds 500 during the summer holiday. An official figure is not available.

Sex morality and sex responsibility should be included in adolescent sex education, in addition to physiological education and healthcare, said Tu Minxia, a professor with Guangzhou-based Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao Youth Research Institute.

(Xinhua News Agency August 1, 2009)