Becoming the sex and relationships editor for HerCampus Exeter has prompted me to think a lot more about the relationship people with female reproductive organs have with contraception. The responsibility for contraception normally falls upon us, as most current forms of contraception are designed for females. It is a given that each individual interacts with contraception differently, based on convenience, how it makes us feel physically, and what we need the contraception to do. The way we interact with forms of contraception varies globally too, not just between individuals but between nations and the communities within. Use of contraception is effected by features such as local law, culture, availability, history and more.
In this series, I’d like to look at how use of contraception varies across the world, and starting off I’ll look at the relationship young people in China have with contraception.
Safety Fears
The contraceptive pill was first introduced to the UK in the 1960s and it hasn’t changed much since. However, in China, when a contraceptive pill was first introduced it was a high dosage monthly pill, rather than the regular daily pill common now. Across the world, everyone taking a form of hormonal contraception is likely aware of the associated health risks, and this plays a part in their decision to take it. In China, this higher dosage pill came with a lot of health risks and side effects that were more prevalent than those of the pill form currently available. Understandably, fears of these risks have remained persistent, therefore the pill is less commonly used in China than it is in the UK, where it is one of the most popular forms of contraception.
Culture
Geographically, contraception is highly accessible in China, due to the high funding and prioritisation of family planning. However, just because they have access to a family planning centre doesn’t mean everyone will be given equal access to the contraception they need, especially not young women. Studies have found Chinese family planning institutions ambivalent to providing services to unmarried young people, and this has been a serious obstacle in obtaining contraception. (Tu, 2004) Beliefs on who should and shouldn’t be allowed to access contraception are widespread in China due to the high value placed on female virginity in many communities. This is further complicated by conflicting cultural beliefs, between the traditional focus on family and having children (especially sons), and the more recent focus on limiting population growth.
Affects of the one child policy
The infamous one child policy is no longer in practice in China, but its effects on how people view contraception are persistent. The policy encourage people to have one child maximum, and rewarded those who opted for sterilisation, especially those who did so before having any children. Due to this, it became common for people to not use contraception, have a child, and then opt for a long-lasting/permanent form of contraception. Longer lasting forms of contraception such as the IUD have remained popular, outperforming other forms such as the pill and condoms, as that is what people are used to.
Law
Chinese law on sex work has put both sex workers and civilians in danger from unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. Most forms of full service sex work are illegal in China, and Chinese law categorises condoms as ‘tools of the offence’. Meaning possession of them by someone under suspicion can be used as evidence against them. This means many have been reluctant to carry them and often avoid using them. Popularity is growing as the government has tried to encourage condom use. This is a good sign especially in limiting the spread of STD’s and removing stigma.