The OTHER Great Wall of China

This started with Baby #59. A little history, Baby #59 was a baby in China rescued from the pipe in a toilet. His 22 year old Mom had just given birth but was scared so she cleaned up then called for help. He’s okay and has been released from the hospital but this incident brought up two big issues in China.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/28/china-baby-saved-from-sewer-pipe_n_3344442.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/baby-59-mother-hospitalized_n_3363515.html

The first is that premarital sex is becoming more popular while sex education remains weak. I’m not surprised their results seem to be similar to Arkansas and other states that have weak sex education classes. Denial that sex happens outside of marriage by leaders harms the people they are supposed to lead. Some leaders are realistic others aren’t. Apparently, Chinese Lawmakers needs to acknowledge that social views on sex have changed and start providing what is needed mainly better sex education. Abortions have become inexpensive and common. That's part of their one-child policy. I have links below on Contraceptive options and STIs. If any reader doesn’t know much about these things I recommend reading those links and talking to your doctor to learn more.

Starting in the 5th grade we had thorough sex ed classes here. The material was adjusted to be age appropriate but after 9th grade sex ed I understood a lot about various STIs and Contraceptive methods. While it was stressed that abstinence is the only way to 100% avoid pregnancy and STIs, knowledge is power and I graduated from High School knowing a lot of things. Too many people only learn about these things after it happens to them. That's everywhere in the world.

Links about China's Sex Ed Policy:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/12/02/china-s-sex-ed-problem.html 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/30/china-abortions-pass-13m_n_247915.html

http://www.unescobej.org/education/resources/news-and-event/2012/school-sexuality-education-in-china/

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sexual-intelligence/201104/china-sex-education-ambivalent-the-core

http://www.uschina.usc.edu/w_usci/showarticle.aspx?articleID=18021&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Before Baby # 59's mother was known there was speculation that it was related to one child law. I’m sure there are many Mothers in China who like me long for a second child but have been denied that dream. My heart goes out to these mothers. Especially those who can’t afford the fine.

I have never been to China but I do know that is a long term law and there already is an impact. In recent years there have been a string of Preschool and Day Care killing sprees by Chinese men, all of them single and insane. There is a link to that below too. Because males are usually favored in China there is a generation of mostly men who are struggling to find a wife in a very small pool of options. At what point will the Chinese government decide that law is no longer necessary? Apparently, not in the next decade.

It disproportionately favors the urban rich who can afford the fine. The  Chinese government really does need to invest in better sex education and contraceptive availability. They also need to provide fully covered Psychotherapy for women and couples struggling mentally because of these issues. At least there is a long list of exceptions to the law such as in cases of twins.

As for Baby #59s Mom, I feel sorry for her. She’s 22 and scared. The baby was the result of a one night stand who’s father denied paternity until a DNA test proves it. Even if that test proves paternity who knows what support he will really provide the Mother. The baby was released to his maternal grandparents. I don’t know their situation but I sure hope they are loving and will be supportive of their daughter and not judgmental, critical, and full of lectures. What she needs right now is help and to know everything will be okay. What the baby needs is love, care, and to know everything will be okay.

I hope the info I provide below helps. There is another Great Wall in China, it’s the reproductive understanding of the leaders. When leaders acknowledge what society views as appropriate sexual behavior and take steps to help such as improve sexual education and make the wall between the rich and poor is broken down. We might want the real wall to remain intact but this wall needs to fall like the Berlin Wall. There is debate about if their contraceptive policies are good. While a lot of women are using contraceptives thanks to ads, there are a lot of abortions and Morning-after pill use too. With better sex education the STIs go down and more people use contraceptives and avoid the need for abortions. Less women end up like Baby #59's mother, pregnant and scared. It's mostly married women who use birth control. Most single women are too uncomfortable.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/world/asia/13abortion.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
 

China is a great country in many ways. I like that the police took the mother's emotional state into consideration. In American she would have the added stress of a lengthy investigation. In China the police saw she was genuinely scared and took emotions into account when deciding it wasn't intentional. I am happy to read that Baby #59 is doing well. I hope his Mother gets the help she needs to give him a good life.

China’s Policy:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/6724580a-8d64-11e2-82d2-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2V4RimsFV

http://www.china.org.cn/english/2002/Oct/46138.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-child_policy

School Attacks:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_attacks_in_China_(2010%E2%80%9312)

Contraceptive Options:

http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/UnintendedPregnancy/Contraception.htm

Sexually Transmitted Infections:

http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/sexually-transmitted-infections.cfm