My first sexuality education class ended abruptly amidst exclamations of 'That's so disgusting'!

From what I can remember, we only had two sessions of ‘puberty and hygiene’ classes in junior high school. The first session involved watching a film about psychological changes during puberty with my classmates. The second session, focusing on physical changes, lasted for only 5 minutes before the atmosphere in the entire class turned uneasy. A girl exclaimed, “that's so disgusting,” prompting the teacher to immediately turn off the video. And just like that, my very first sexuality education class came to an abrupt halt!

This kind of 'beginning' was somewhat regrettable and yet not entirely surprising. I believe that at that time, the majority of adolescents went through similar 'puberty and hygiene classes.' What set my experience apart was that it prompted me to go on to become an advocate for sexuality education.

The second sexuality education lesson in my life shattered my worldview but reinvented me

It was the summer of 2012, when I was in my second year at medical school, I  won a spot on a training programme - to participate in the first Youth Health Summer Camp hosted by China Family Planning Association and China Youth Network in Shenzhen as a youth representative from Zhejiang Province. I got an opportunity to talk with young people nationwide and learn about their experiences of conducting youth health projects.

The first day of the camp was truly shocking for me. You know, in nearly 20 years of my life, I had never heard anyone discuss topics on 'sex' in any public setting. However, at the summer camp, both the students and I received extensive education on sexuality. In just seven days, I came to understand that “sex” is not only about the sexual behaviour itself; it encompasses psychological, physiological, and even societal dimensions. More importantly, “sex” constitutes only a small part of our lives, yet to some extent, it determines whether we can lead a fulfilling life.

After the 7-day summer camp, I moderated the first youth health session in my life. At that moment, I could accept the concept of “sex” more easily. I believe that both myself and the classmates who attended the training were lucky. But, when I realized that the majority of young people struggle to access correct sexual and reproductive health information, I became determined to ‘take up the torch', hoping to pass on the light that had illuminated my path to more young people.

The story from 2 schools to 42 schools

After the event, I helped the Hangzhou Family Planning Association set up the Hangzhou Youth Network. We joked about 'wanting to try all the cafeterias in Hangzhou's universities,' and made use of every spare moment after classes to travel between major universities in the city, to give lectures, training, and expand our networks.

In 2019, I participated in the Youth Model International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held by the United Nations Population Fund in Egypt as a Chinese youth representative. By then, the Hangzhou Youth Network had expanded from its initial 2 schools to 42 schools in Hangzhou. During the conference, I shared insights on China's sexual and reproductive health education with over 200 young representatives from more than 50 countries, highlighting the country’s efforts made in this field.

By 2022, the Hangzhou Youth Network had conducted 1,299 training sessions across 42 universities, nurturing 9,678 peer education hosts and 25,024 core volunteers. Over 700,000 students participated in various youth health activities.

Participation in the Youth Health Programme has had an impact on my life.

After graduation, I became a thoracic surgeon, often too busy to take a break. But I still couldn't give up my social work, and spent almost all my spare time doing it. By conducting training sessions and giving lectures, I found myself changing from a shy university student to a proud national-level youth health host travelling in China and around the world.

Every time I am asked what motivates me to go on, there are several stories in my mind. Perhaps it is a girl having her first period who thought she was going to die and tries to cover up the bloodstains using all possible ways; perhaps it is a college student with an unintended pregnancy who gets the  wrong medical advice and damages her reproductive health; or perhaps it is a primary school student reported taking photos of his classmates’ lower body for comparison with his own due to fear about his physical development; or it is the tears in a student’s eyes after a training session...All these vivid memories are like strong hands that push me forward when I want to give up: You have to keep on going, there are still a lot of people in need of sexual and reproductive health education.

To be frank, the Youth Health Programme has had an impact on my whole life. I am one of its biggest beneficiaries, because while I am inspiring more young people to make an impact, I have also developed my own youth potential: becoming more eloquent in presentations and trainings; developing organisational and leadership skills in network building among universities; and understanding the importance of respect in an intimate relationship and finding my partner...More importantly, rather than “benefiting myself only”, this work has already planted the seed of "altruism" in my heart, making me feel the joy of helping others. No matter how busy or tired I am, I can't help but feel happy when I take the floor.

The road is long and difficult, but you can keep your feet moving forward.

What is even more gratifying is that I have received more and more good news in recent years. Whenever students who have attended my training tell me that they have been inspired by my sexuality education classes and are clear on what they want, I’m even more determined to continue on this path.

The road is long and difficult, but you can keep your feet moving forward. I certainly can't go back in time and play the sexuality video that was turned off by my teachers, but I hope that with my solid and tireless efforts and those of thousands of sexuality educators, I can open up the right opportunities for more young people to learn about sexual and reproductive health and rights in the future.