China’s sex education still miles to go—sex education needs in college students: a cross-sectional study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND In China, rapid development in all walks of society has been accompanied by dramatic transition of traditional culture and by negative effects on sexual health of young people. OBJECTIVE We investigated knowledge, attitudes, values and behaviors of college students in relation to sex and sex education in Tianjin, China, with an aim of informing sex education policy under the context of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. METHODS We selected seven main universities in Tianjin. Methods were: questionnaire survey of 2105 college students; sex education topic campus lectures about sexually transmitted infections/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (STIs/AIDS) and sex health of students. Qualitative and quantitative data were assessed separately with thematic and statistical analysis respectively and then combined. RESULTS We have found five main findings about Tianjin college student’s sexual wonders, knowledge, values, attitudes and behaviors: Tianjin college students have some knowledge of basic sex physiology, while the largely arranged sex education curriculum fails to reach the needs for adults; background factors (ie, gender, native places and urban/rural) are crucial in the sex education and the outcome of sex education, which might provide theoretical basis for policymakers and researchers; sexual education lags behind sexual behaviors (ie, sex drive, masturbation and sex); medical universities should realize the importance of sex education and the implement of sex education; homosexuality and sperm bank are new territories for sex education. CONCLUSIONS Results of this exploratory study suggest five ways that could be developed to improve sex education: qualified specialists or teachers are the best educators to address learning needs of college students; background factors are of great significance in sex education and sex education learning, group differences and individual differences should be considered in sex education; for urban students, sex education from parents/teachers might be better than peer-led sex education; homosexuality and sperm bank are new territories in sex education, sex education must keep abreast with times.