East–west disparities in safer sex inside China: a sociocultural perspective
Lin Zhang
A # , Yi Mou A # and Jilong Wang A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Media & Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Sexual Health 20(4) 323-329 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH22025
Submitted: 1 February 2022 Accepted: 27 March 2023 Published: 24 April 2023
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing
Abstract
Background: This study responds to the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS and unplanned pregnancies among Chinese college students from a sociocultural perspective, and investigates the influences of sociocultural factors in shaping sex-related beliefs and acts among Chinese college students.
Methods: An online survey was conducted on a purposive sample of 1286 female college students in four cities in east and west China.
Results: Significant east–west disparities have emerged in the rate of sexual intercourse experience, rate of safer sex, conservative sexual values, authority sex education, unofficial sex knowledge access and HIV knowledge. A higher rate of sexual activity, but lower rate of safer sex, were found among the students in the west relative to those in the east.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that in a large country, such as China, regional disparities in economy, social development and sexual norms are salient to affect individuals’ sexual behaviours.
Keywords: Chinese college students, conservative sexual value, east–west disparity, HIV knowledge, online survey, safer sex, sex knowledge access channel, sociocultural perspective.
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