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THE WORD ABOUT TEEN SEX |
"Let's talk about sex, baby, let's talk about sex." This refrain from the Salt 'N Pepa song may have been what educators hoped to impress on their young audiences, but the message hasn't reached many of the territory's teenagers. In today's more liberal society, getting young people to talk about sex and, in the process, make more informed choices, seems to be as distant a goal as it was when Hong Kong introduced its first sex education programmes about 20 years ago.
Most are still too embarrassed to broach the subject. May, an 18-year-old Chinese student at an international school, is typically inhibited and ignorant. "I never talk about sex with my friends. Not long ago, there was an AIDS workshop at my school, but not many people went. I think AIDS is not an issue for us yet."
Of course, teenagers are not necessarily sexually inactive. Ah Kwan had her first sexual encounter at the age of 14, but has only hazy memories of it. "It was at my boyfriend's home and his family was out. I was on drugs and had only a vague idea of what was going on. I realised what had happened when I awoke."
Subsequent encounters followed the same pattern, sex after drugs. Fortunately, she didn't get pregnant. Now 17, she admits she knows little about contraception. "The rhythm method? I don't know what it is," says Ah Kwan, who has dropped out of school. "A good friend of mine had an abortion once. Her parents paid for it. She never takes any precautions. Yet she is deeply worried every time she calls me to say her period is late." Another friend, who had a baby when she was 17, left her son with her boyfriend to make a "fresh start".
Ah Kwan, too, is starting a new life. She has kicked her drug habit, found a new group of friends and insists casual sex is out. "I will not have sex again until I'm married. It's not necessary to do it even if a guy really likes a girl." But some girls "simply don't know how to say no".
Senior research officer of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Pang Kin -fu suspects teenage pregnancy is on the rise. In its first mini-survey of its kind, the Federation interviewed 25 young women, aged from 13 to 20, between December and March this year, who became pregnant in their teens. One quarter said they consented to sex after repeated requests from their boyfriends. And more than half didn't use any contraception due to their partner's objection, lack of knowledge or motivation to take chances.
Quoting statistics from the Family Planning Association (FPA), Pang points to an increase in the number of people under 20 seeking help at its Youth Health Care Centres, from 1,139 in 1991 to 1,924 last year. The FPA clinics offer medical counselling and services, including abortion, to people less than 26 years old.
It is unknown how many have obtained abortions there. But abortion is also available at government hospitals to girls aged under 16, and are easily obtained on the mainland. The youth group also found eight of the 25 girls interviewed were only 14 when they became pregnant. Twelve gave birth. The young mothers were mostly residents in public housing estates and five were students.
But Pang doesn't think teenage pregnancy is more of an issue with low-income families. "One respondent's mother was a university lecturer. I think the point is that young people today are increasingly liberal about sex, and some do it at a very young age."
Show-business personality and radio phone-in host Crystal Kwok was surprised with some of the concerns expressed by young callers. "Many are so naive. They have little knowledge about sexuality and their bodies. Teenagers are very curious about sex, but they are under-educated in the area," says Kwok. A call from a man in his early 20s appalled her. "He said he had had sex with his girlfriend since their teens, and the girl had already had several abortions. I told him that would ruin her health. How could a girl treat her body so carelessly?"
Such reports of widespread ignorance reinforce the findings of a 1991 survey of 4,195 students by the FPA that found teenagers more ignorant about sexual matters compared to previous studies. The students, who were in Forms Three to Seven, were part of a study conducted every five years by the FPA. More than half of the respondents wrongly suggested pregnancy was unlikely if sex was performed two weeks before menstruation, a rise from the previous survey. Thirty per cent thought the chance of pregnancy was slim during the first intercourse, compared to 64.5 per cent in boys.
Nonetheless, despite all the tales of teenagers giving expression to raging hormones, traditional Chinese values still hold sway to an extent. Traditional gender differences are similarly reflected in males and females attitude towards sex. Not surprisingly, boys tend to be less inhibited. In the FPA survey, 45.8 per cent of boys accept premarital sex, compared to about 25 per cent among girls. This more open attitude to premarital sex was also reflected in a survey conducted by the AIDS Foundation in June.
But when is someone old enough for sex? Ah Kin, a Form Seven student, frowns and gives the matter serious thought. "Only after marriage, since you may have to shoulder great responsibility as a result of doing it," he concludes. "Of course, I feel sort of excited at the sight of pornographic materials or steamy scenes in movies or on TV. But my parents always tell us to behave. If we impregnate a girl, they say, we'll have to take up the responsibility of being a father and support the whole family." As for teenagers on the street, Andy, 19, says: "I think it's OK if one is 16 or 17." He pauses when asked if he had tried it himself. "Is it this important?" he asks. Like many others, Andy believes sex should be shared by people who love each other.
Catherine Wong, 13, has had several boyfriends, but they have only lasted a few months. She broke off with the previous one, a boy she met at a youth centre, because she found him too moody. She has set a rule for herself, no sex before 18. "It's no good if the two people are not mature. What if they are faced with certain responsibilities afterwards? "Having a boyfriend or not does not matter so much to me. I think I have sufficient attention and care from my family."
But what about schools? Ms Chan, a senior form teacher, is worried by the fact that her students are heavily influenced by sexual stereotypes. "They are not alert to any sexist ideas portrayed by the media, like those in advertisements. They are certainly more open about sex now, but they tend to just look at the surface of things, instead of judging a situation from a broad perspective." So Ms Chan was particularly pleased to discover the educational theme her school has chosen for the year is "critical thinking". More schools would do well to follow suit.
Source : Adapted from the South China Morning Post, 12.11.95
Vocabulary
- societies which encourage freedom of speech, elections, etc. Contrast, authoritarian or totalitarian societies where power is more closely concentrated. Return
- If you make an informed choice you make it with a good background knowledge of the options, problems, etc. You have the information to make a good decision. Return
- In this sense; that teenage pregnancy is (not) over- represented in poorer families. Return
// sexist
- practising the belief that the members of one sex, usually women, are less capable or intelligent than the other sex and should therefore be treated differently. The term is usually used to indicate disapproval. Return