Recently, a high school student in Beijing shared her views on “sex education taboos” in a lecture. She is the founder of “Little Wings,” a public welfare sex education video platform. Through online platforms, she spreads knowledge about sex education. According to a survey, 39% of people get sex education from the internet, 29% from pornographic DVDs, and only 0.9% from schools, teachers, or parents. These numbers are worrying, as China sees 13 million abortions each year, with 50% involving minors, highlighting a serious lack of sex education.

This student found that sex education in China is still a sensitive topic. Many courses use outdated methods from the older generation, which lack effective interaction with students. She believes that sex education should follow popular culture and match young people’s curiosity. By using comics and videos, she tries to make sex education interesting, aiming to show that it should not be something to be ashamed of. However, she faced resistance from parents during her efforts. For example, many parents still insist on the idea that “girls must remain chaste,” showing outdated views on sexuality.

Although policy changes are limited for now, she advocates using online platforms to continue promoting sex education. She believes that change can start with young people. Through peer education activities, she encourages self-education to break the taboos surrounding sex education together.

A High School Student’s View on “Sex Education Taboos” / Meiling Feng / Education Futures: KIPP & Futures Project (2024-25) by Mewling Feng is licensed under a 知识共享署名CC BY 3.0