What do Hong Kong teens think about official advice on controlling sexual impulses?
Teens criticise Education Bureau’s portrayal of boys’ inability to control their urges and what message girls’ choices of clothing send
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Play badminton to curb sexual urges? Young Hongkongers speak about new sex ed guidelines
The Hong Kong government’s advice for teenagers to “play badminton” when experiencing sexual impulses has been mocked by young people as ineffective in helping them understand their desires and criticised by an NGO for failing to address a cause of underage sex.
The Education Bureau released the guidelines as part of teaching materials aimed at secondary school pupils, suggesting choices teens make in a variety of scenarios involving intimacy. The bureau recommended they adopt sexual abstinence to avoid the risk of pregnancy and the ensuing emotional distress.
The most criticised scenario involved two 15-year-old teens studying at home in summer. The girl takes off her jacket and clings to the boy, making him excited. The guideline suggested they either “leave the scene immediately” or “go out to play badminton together”.
Many of the young people the Post interviewed said the teaching materials were ineffective, with some recalling only having one or two sex education classes throughout school, where they were taught how to use a condom.
“Even if you go play badminton, you’re still going to have that thought later on, like what else could have happened if I didn’t go,” Rezy Limbu, 19, said. “They won’t know how to control themselves the next time. You can’t always go play badminton if it happens again.”
