Shanghai: Health Officials Worry Students Are Getting Too Frisky

Xinhua News Agency reported today that a two-year survey of 25 Shanghai high schools suggested that dating and sexual activity among students are on the upswing in China's most modern city. One-third of the students said they had a partner and had engaged in hugging, kissing or petting; 3 percent said they had already had sex. The survey intended to assess students' knowledge of reproductive health, STDs, and their concepts of love and sex, said Dr. Shen Lixiao of Shanghai Xinhua Hospital, which organized the survey. The survey was conducted before and after AIDS education. "Most students can grasp the basic knowledge about AIDS and other [STDs] and establish a proper attitude toward people infected with diseases," she said. One hundred students participated. Responding to the growth of HIV and STDs, health officials have increased sex-education classes for students in China's largest cities.

Back to other news for April 7, 2004