Chinese Sexual Behaviors: Emerging Trends and Consequences for Women

Tianfu Wang, University of Chicago
William L. Parish, University of Chicago
Edward O. Laumann, University of Chicago
Kwai Hang Ng, University of Chicago

This paper examines the changing trends in sexual behaviors across age cohorts in urban China and discusses the consequences brought about by these changes. New sexual practices in urban China began to emerge along with the launch of open-door policy in the early 1980s. Clearly, sex in China now is more liberated, individualistic, and pleasure-seeking oriented. However, compared with other developing countries as well as the West, sex in China shows a distinct Asian pattern that is different from the western pattern and can be best characterized by late sex debut, delayed age at first marriage, and large gender disparity in sexual liberation. The recent unleashed sex also brings heavy costs for Chinese women. This paper also discusses two kinds of these costs, the impact of new sex role models on women’s body image and the resurgence of sexually transmitted diseases.