Juping Yu

Teenage sexual attitudes and behaviour in China: a literature review

China is the most populated of any country in the world. Social norms and values pertaining to love and marriage have changed considerably since the launch of its open-door policy and economic reforms of the 1980s. Attitudes to sex have become more open, while the negative consequences of early sexual intercourse have become issues of health and social concern. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the teenage sexual attitudes and behaviour in contemporary China. A literature review was conducted between 2000 and 2010, using both English (Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ASSIA) and Chinese language databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database). Thirty-six studies were included and reviewed. It was found that young people reported poor sexual knowledge, especially in relation to reproductive matters and sexually transmitted infections. The media, such as television, magazines and the Internet, were seen as their main sources of information on sex. Despite the frequently reported liberal attitudes to sexual behaviour, only a small number of young people had already lost their virginity or been involved in pregnancies. Young men were more likely than young women to report having had sex, while respondents at vocational high schools were less likely to remain virgins than those at common/key high schools. Although the prevalence of sexual intercourse among Chinese teenagers was still lower than that reported in studies conducted in most western countries, the findings do reflect some changes in sexual values and behaviour of young people within the country. They also suggest the need to develop more comprehensive sex education programmes in co-operation with young people, schools, health organisations, families and communities and to make sexual and reproductive health services accessible to teenagers and unmarried young people throughout China.China is the most populated of any country in the world. Social norms and values pertaining to love and marriage have changed considerably since the launch of its open-door policy and economic reforms of the 1980s. Attitudes to sex have become more open, while the negative consequences of early sexual intercourse have become issues of health and social concern. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the teenage sexual attitudes and behaviour in contemporary China. A literature review was conducted between 2000 and 2010, using both English (Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ASSIA) and Chinese language databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database). Thirty-six studies were included and reviewed. It was found that young people reported poor sexual knowledge, especially in relation to reproductive matters and sexually transmitted infections. The media, such as television, magazines and the Internet, were seen as their main sources of information on sex. Despite the frequently reported liberal attitudes to sexual behaviour, only a small number of young people had already lost their virginity or been involved in pregnancies. Young men were more likely than young women to report having had sex, while respondents at vocational high schools were less likely to remain virgins than those at common/key high schools. Although the prevalence of sexual intercourse among Chinese teenagers was still lower than that reported in studies conducted in most western countries, the findings do reflect some changes in sexual values and behaviour of young people within the country. They also suggest the need to develop more comprehensive sex education programmes in co-operation with young people, schools, health organisations, families and communities and to make sexual and reproductive health services accessible to teenagers and unmarried young people throughout China.

A systematic review of issues around antenatal screening and prenatal diagnostic testing for genetic disorders: women of Asian origin in western countries.

Antenatal screening has become standard practice in many countries. However, not all pregnant women choose to be tested. In the UK, the incidence of some birth defects is found to be higher in babies of Asian women than in those of women from other ethnic groups, while there is some evidence suggesting that ethnic minorities, especially Asian women, are less likely to undergo antenatal screening and prenatal diagnosis, the reasons for which are unclear. This study aims to identify and describe the literature on issues around antenatal screening and prenatal diagnostic testing for genetic disorders among women of Asian descent in western countries. The Medline, CINAHL, ASSIA and PsycInfo databases were searched for the period of 1995 and 2010. Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria and were therefore reviewed. In general, Asian women were found to hold favourable attitudes towards testing. However, they reported a poorer understanding of testing than white women and not being offered a test, and were less able to make informed choices. Asian women in the UK and Australia were found to be less likely than their white counterparts to have undergone prenatal diagnosis, while such differences were not found in the USA and Canada. The equity of access to quality antenatal care, alongside comprehensive well thought out antenatal screening programmes, can be assured if strategies are in place which actively involve all ethnic groups and take account of social and cultural appropriateness for the population served. An understanding of broad factors that inform womens decision-making on test uptake would help health professionals provide women and their families with more culturally sensitive information and support that they may additionally need to make more informed choices.

Sex education beyond school: implications for practice and research

The negative consequences of teenage sexual behaviour are issues of concern in Britain and many other western countries. Over one-quarter of British young people are reported to become sexually active prior to the age of 16 and the rate of teenage pregnancy remains one of the highest in Western Europe. Current UK Government policy on sex education highlights the provision of skills for ‘safe sex’ at school to reduce teenage pregnancy rates. This paper argues that school cannot alone provide sufficient guidance to change teenage sexual behaviour, as school, family, religion, peers and media all have their part to play. Cooperation between schools, young people, their families and communities is crucial to enhance the effectiveness of sex education and to promote positive sexual health.

Young people of Chinese origin in western countries: a systematic review of their sexual attitudes and behaviour

People of Chinese origin are a growing population group in western countries. The community is seen to be marginalised, under-researched and neglected, in fact the least understood ethnic minority. This paper reports on a systematic review of sexual attitudes and behaviour among ethnic Chinese young people (mainly aged 13-25 years) living in western countries. An extensive literature search was conducted to cover the period of 1989 and 2009 using Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO and ScienceDirect databases. There has been a dearth of literature in this area. However, results from existing literature show that ethnic Chinese youth reported poorer sexual health knowledge than white young people in their host countries, while they were found to be more likely to disapprove of uncommitted sex, be virgins, lose their virginity at a later age and have fewer sexual partners. Factors associated with their sexual attitudes and behaviour have also been identified. Countries like the United Kingdom, United States and Canada have become multicultural societies with many diverse ethnic groups. Without doubt educators and sexual health professionals need to provide sex education and services which should be culturally appropriate to people from diverse ethnic backgrounds. An understanding of their sexual values, sexual behaviour and associated factors is the first step towards achieving this goal.

Young people’s views on sharing health-related stories on the Internet

There is an increasing interest in the use of stories in healthcare practice and education. However, there are few stories from young people concerning health and little is known about their views on sharing such stories on the Internet. The aim of this study was to explore young peoples perspectives in this area. A qualitative method was used and a project website was purposely built to facilitate data collection. An online focus group with 13 young people was carried out in an asynchronous format. Participants valued highly the therapeutic effect of storytelling and the use of digital stories to share feelings and experiences with a wide range of audiences, suggesting that well-produced stories could be a useful learning resource. A number of concerns were also raised, including embarrassment, reaction of other people and online safety. Having stories available on the Internet can be beneficial; however, concerns especially about safety associated with Internet use and support for storytellers should be taken into consideration. A better understanding of young peoples perceptions can provide valuable insights for future work with this age group on storytelling.

An overview of the sexual behaviour of adolescents and young people in contemporary China.

Traditional Chinese sexual values and morality are mainly based on the Confucian and Taoist traditions which overwhelmingly stress the reproductive function of sex and its role in cementing family and societal structures. In recent years attitudes towards sex love and marriage have changed dramatically since Chinas open-door policy and the economic reforms of the 1980s. Sexual attitudes become more open while the negative consequences of early sexual initiation increasingly become issues of social and health concern. In this paper the author provides an overview of the current literature relating to the sexual behaviour of adolescents and young people in contemporary China and suggests ways forward to positively promote the sexual health of its population. The results show that teenage sex and premarital sex are no longer disapproved of by the young. Some young people lost their virginity while still at high school and the rate of sexual initiation was generally higher among those who had left school and those at university. The take up of contraceptives was found to be low and multiple sexual partners casual sex pregnancies sexually transmitted infections and sexual abuse were also reported. These rapid changes in sexual values and behaviour call for the introduction of comprehensive sex education programmes and their associated services which are inclusive accessible and available to all adolescents and unmarried young people in China.

Perceived inequalities in care and support for older women from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds in Wales: findings from a survey exploring dignity from service providers’ perspectives

ABSTRACT Objective: As part of a large mixed-method study aimed at capturing understandings of dignity, and care expectations of community dwelling older women from Black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds living in Wales, the aim of this paper is to compare service providers’ perceptions of their care and support provided to older people in general, and to older women from BME backgrounds in particular, with a focus on two dignity indicators: care and support needs, and effective communication. Design: A survey design was used. Results: A total of 124 responses from service providers in Wales were received. Perceived inequalities in care and support were found. Although most respondents reported that care and support provision was generally acceptable, more respondents believed that compared to older people in general, older women from BME backgrounds were seldom or never offered opportunities and support to express their needs, were involved in their own care, were provided appropriate information, had their key needs especially less visible needs (psychological and religious needs) been taken into account, or were communicated with effectively (all p < 0.05). In some cases, respondents tended to report more positively in areas related to their own practice. Conclusion: We suggest that learning from the views and perceptions of service providers, as well as older people and their families, remains key to developing services for the UKs increasingly diverse and ageing population. A better understanding of how inequalities may occur, their impact on older people and their families, and how they may be minimised can inform the development of high quality care for older people regardless of their ethnic and cultural backgrounds in Wales, other parts of the UK and beyond.