Attitudes toward sex changing in China

Chinese have become more open toward having sex, according to the 2011 Global Durex Sexual Well-being Survey, released on Monday in Beijing.

Initiated by Durex, a leading condom manufacturer, the survey was conducted by Harris Interactive, an independent market research firm, from Sept 6 to Oct 3, 2011. About 29,000 adults (over 18) in 36 countries took part in the survey, either through online questionnaires or interviews. In China, 2,060 people took part online.

Compared to a similar survey in 2006 by the same companies, the results show sexual attitudes and behaviors have changed among Chinese people.

For many, intimate relationships are not indispensable to sexual behavior. About 34 percent of people have had more than two sexual partners, while in 2006, the number was only 28 percent. On the one hand, only 30 percent of people think love is a precondition for sexual activity, while in 2006, about 52 percent of respondents thought that way. One-night stands have become more acceptable, and about 10 percent of the respondents said they have experienced a one-night stand.

Society is also more tolerant of homosexuality, the report says.

The Internet is the most popular source of sex information, and about 50 percent of people said they learn about sex through the Internet.

About 20 percent of respondents said primary and secondary schools are their main source of sex education, while 13 percent referred to their universities. Another 13 percent found information in newspapers and magazines. About 18 percent of respondents had not received any sex education at all.

"The survey makes sense, if we think about what is happening in Chinese society, especially the wide use of the Internet in recent years," says Liu Zhongyi, a sexologist with the China Population and Development Research Center.

"The Internet has greatly influenced relationships and sexual well-being among the current generation, because of the traditional conservative views on sex and the easy accessibility, convenience and anonymity of the Internet."

However, about 90 percent of sex information on the Internet is from porn websites, which tends to be incorrect and misleading, Liu notes.

Take the orgasm for example. About one fourth of people cannot experience orgasms during sexual activity, but Internet porn exaggerates the importance and frequency of orgasms, Liu says.

"Our society has not been successful in regard to sex education," says Qing Yin, a Beijing-based freelance writer on sex and intimate relationships.

People are more confident and feel more attractive online, and are more open to using dating websites. Some use the Internet to find sexual partners.

At the same time, people are having sex at a younger age compared with previous generations. People who first had sex between the ages of 16-18 years old have increased by 10 percent since 2006.

About a quarter of the respondents were not aware of the sexual disease histories of their partners, and more than 40 percent said they were lost when they first experienced sex.

In 2006, about 16 percent of people agreed they didn't have enough love, and in 2011, that increased to 27 percent.

The survey also indicates that, compared with other countries, Chinese people have a higher frequency of sexual intercourse, but overall sexual satisfaction has declined. Although physical satisfaction increased from 73 percent in 2006 to 78 percent in 2011, emotional satisfaction decreased from 85 percent to 80 percent.