Human immunodeficiency virus, or simply HIV, is one of the worst viri that any person can get. The virus itself can cause life-threatening infections and cancers, which is almost impossible to treat. Unfortunately, China's rate for this health condition is getting more alarming.
China's health records reveal that the number of those who were infected with the virus has almost doubled just over a decade. As posted by SixthTone, most of HIV's victim are people who are sexually active, which includes students and young adults aged 15 to 24.
In fact, from 2011 to 2015 alone, HIV rates among people of this age have increased by almost 35 percent. World Health Organization representative Fabio Scano shared that the climbing rate of HIV among youth is "pretty worrisome." Youths are indeed altering the conservative outlook of China.
In China, sexually transmitted diseases like HIV and sex education are considered a taboo topic. Even in Chinese families, parents won't even dare to say the word 'sex' in front of their children even just for informative manner.
This situation, according to France 24, is the very reason why the number of HIV infected people are on the rise. Sex Education is set aside in most parts of China. Because of this, understanding and covering oneself protection against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases seem impossible. Most students don't even have any idea about sex except for the basic reproductive system lesson they had when they were still in grade school.
Ke Xi, one of the students of Hebei University of Hebei Province, explained how being ignorant about sex made it hard for her to listen to herself. According to her, "Chinese men view ignorance as cuteness when it comes to being a woman. Some girls around me don't even know the process of intercourse."
Professor Fang Gang, Director of the Institute of Sexualities and Gender at Beijing Forestry University, also shared, "Many students' answer to 'where am I from' is always the same, from 'my parents picked me from the trash bins/found me in the trash' to 'I am a pre-paid delivery.' These are not jokes, but the reality of Chinese family sexuality education."
Gang desires to change this stigma towards sex education. Offering sex education to students and teachers, he believes that by teaching the new generation more information about sex education, he will be able to see the seedlings of China bloom into a better generation.
