Looking back at a year of mixed blessings

Sex

My life as a sex expert

My colleagues have playfully called me Junior Dr Yang (a real physician is already responsible for medical care at China Daily) since I began to write about healthcare issues in 2009. However, by the end of 2013 I had another title - sex expert.

When I began reviewing my reports on sex-related topics, from homosexuality to gender equality, I started to realize how much time I've dedicated to the task of promoting understanding and respect for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender groups, encouraging people to treat sexual problems in the correct way, demystifying human desires, and offering help to those who needed it.

The story, Relationships: Sexual Pioneers on the March, marked the end of the year. This time, I wrote about China's female sexual pioneers who are breaking the traditional sexual fetters and stereotypes and fighting for their rights.

The most challenging part is not the weeks I spend searching for interviewees, nor the frustration I feel when an interview request is repeatedly refused - the hard part is telling the truth about the issues without prejudice or making judgments.

My last story, the one about female sexual pioneers, was about 2,000 words. I was left with eight hours of audio recordings that couldn't be used. Some of the details were eye-catching, including some frank descriptions of sexual experiences, and I decided to lock them away for fear of causing unnecessary offence or embarrassment.

Adultery, sexual addictions and some very strange behavior, to some at least - it's hard to record the facts without making some sort of judgment.

However, what I have seen is the goodness of human nature: The mothers of gay people who are calling for social recognition of their children; female sex therapists who are encouraging patients to pursue real happiness; young people bravely taking a lead in the fight for a more tolerant country.

Years ago, when I was a postgraduate in Beijing, sex was not an appropriate matter for family conversation. My parents didn't understand the concept of "gay people". Now, though, they share their thoughts on what they previously considered "shameful topics" and would never describe gay people as "weird", something they once believed.

I was once asked whether, as an unmarried young woman, I was embarrassed to talk and write about sex. However, the question has never arisen; I hope I'm concentrating on the right things, such as encouraging people to be open about science and the human body and to accept other people and social differences.

Further reading: Relationships: Sexual Pioneers on the March, published on Dec 31

A young couple enjoys a Sunday afternoon at the Shichahai ice rink in downtown Beijing. Zhu Xingxin / China Daily

(China Daily 01/13/2014 page6)