In a positive light
To be sure, young people are not the only ones involved in sex issues these days. They are simply the medium by which so many of the new issues now arising in our changing society come to our attention. But rather than just fretting about it, can we take a more positive view of the situation somehow?
Chuang Hui-chiu opines: "We're all obsessed by the worry that young people might grow up too fast if they get caught up too early in things too complex, but we overlook the possibility that emotional maturity might just improve one's ability to deal with setbacks."
Professor Ho Chun-jui, director of National Central University's Center for the Study of Sexualities, is the author of Haoshuang Nuren ("Woman in Charge"), a book that even today, many years after its original publication, remains something of a "bible" to those in Taiwan who advocate a more liberal approach to sex. In her book she states that the frequency and variety of sex do not constitute sexual liberation. True liberation, she writes, is the ability to think about, experience, and discuss sexual matters without shame or fear. If we want to see the next generation grow up as well-adjusted, creative, and self-possessed individuals, we have to lead the way by creating an atmosphere in which things can be discussed openly.
19-year-old university student Ling has a bookshelf full of feminist publications.
While not a bit bashful about her zest for sex, Ling still hopes to spend her life with someone that she's completely compatible with, both sexually and emotionally. Her expression lights up as she confides: "It would be so nice if I could tell my parents and friends that the reason I like a certain person is because when he makes love to me, he carries my whole being into a different realm." She adds with a sigh: "That's my little 'I have a dream. . .' speech."
Case study 1: Amy Age 20 College sophomore
(interview by Eric Lin/tr. by Josh Aguiar)
I'm from the south. I hadn't ever had a boyfriend until college. In my freshman year I started going out with a guy from another school, but the relationship was triangular, as he was seeing another girl at the same time. That's why I never got past "third base" with him. It wasn't until I met another guy online that I finally broke up with him.
As far as the new guy goes, I'm not even sure if our relationship qualifies as boyfriend-girlfriend. He works as a photographer at a media company. His work keeps him really busy, so we only see each other about once a month.
The first time we met was really weird. I had only chatted online with him for a couple of minutes when he asked me if I wanted to go sing some karaoke with him. There were a whole bunch of people going. I said ok, but I was thinking to myself: what kind of loony is this, asking a total stranger to go sing karaoke with a group of his own friends. I was pretty surprised when later on he and his friends showed up at my place to pick me up.
The first two times we met up we only made out because I was on my period. On our third date we ended up having sex over at my place because he came on pretty strong, and I wasn't able to prevent it. I didn't bleed, strangely enough, but it hurt plenty-I could feel some pain for about a week afterwards. It wasn't until our fourth time together that I finally experienced an orgasm. Most of the time we do it at home or drive out of town and then do it in the car. We almost never use condoms. I'm worried, of course, but mostly about getting pregnant-I almost never worry about STDs. Last time I donated blood, my test results showed everything to be fine.
My roommate often brings her boyfriend home to spend the night. Nobody minds. I think that in these kinds of relationships what matters is not how much time you spend together, but rather the quality of your time together. As long as you stick to three principles-do it without regret, do it willingly, and avoid mishaps-then there isn't really anything wrong with having sex.
Case study 2: Hsiao-sung
Age 22 Vocational high school graduate Just finished military service
(interview by Eric Lin/tr. by Josh Aguiar)
I've been with ten girls so far, of which
half were just one-night stands. Most of those relationships were before I entered the army because I was involved in a steady relationship during my military service. I've had about ten girlfriends as well, but I never had sex with half of them. I suppose it was because we wanted to be serious about each other, so we were a little more reserved.
Most of the one-night stands I had were girls that I picked up at bars. It's easy to meet people in those kinds of places. One time was a little more unusual. My buddies and I were hanging out at the night market when we saw a girl who was pretty cute. Then my friends prodded me to go ask for her number. It turned out that we only got together once to have sex over at her place. Her family situation was pretty complicated, so we didn't continue seeing each other.
My first sexual encounter was with my first girlfriend during a summer break in junior high school. We were at my place one afternoon when we just "went all the way." At the time I hadn't even masturbated, so coming was totally unfamiliar. It was only after telling my buddies about the sensation I had experienced-kind of like the tense feeling you have when you're about to pee-that I learned that that was in fact an orgasm.
At the end of my first year of high school I was with a girl for quite a while. Most of the time we made love on the spur of the moment, so we were never in the habit of using a condom. Later on she got pregnant. At the time I felt that we ought to get married and have the child, but she refused outright. She was terrified of having her parents find out about her pregnancy. I found out about an abortion clinic in Tanshui from some friends, so I took her over there. It cost NT$7000, I still remember. Afterward I felt a bit regretful-I really like kids.
People say I'm cool, but I'm not all that experienced. I've got friends who fool around a lot more than I do. I like naive girls, but I don't care whether my future spouse is a virgin or not. And besides, as soon as I'm married I definitely won't have any affairs. I won't be fooling around forever.
Case study 3: A-hsu Age 17 High-school sophomore
(interview by Eric Lin/tr. by Josh Aguiar)
I'm gay. In Taiwan, the only place for gay people to meet, besides gay bars and parks, is online. I'm still too young to go to bars, so starting from my second year in junior high school I began chatting online. I frequently visit gay chat rooms on BBS and on the World Wide Web. Recently some online friends of mine and I created our own online community. We put up pictures and talk about the latest goings on of our favorite stars. And of course we have pictures of our favorite American porn stars. But I especially like Yen Hsing-shu, who used to play basketball for the national team, but is now an actor in a teen-idol show.
My first sexual experience was a disaster. I didn't have anything to do the summer before I started high school, so I spent all day online. I met a bunch of online friends, one of whom was already working. He was something like 25 or 26 years old-I can't remember exactly. He looked a lot like A-hsin from the band May Day, whom I really like a lot. That day we went and had a meal and caught a movie together. Then he took me back to his place.
I was really nervous, especially because he kept cajoling me to have anal sex with him. It really hurt and I even bled a bit. He didn't put on a condom, and after I returned home, the more I thought about it the more it bothered me. The next day I called a gay information hotline. The worker told me that if I was really worried I could go get my blood tested. But AIDS has a period of dormancy, so you have to wait a few months before you can find out whether or not you've been infected. For a year after that time, I lived in secret fear. I have no idea how many times I had my blood tested. I sprinted off to hospitals far and near, and even submitted blood samples through the mail. A lot of times I couldn't get to sleep at night. I would just hide under my blanket and cry. I can't tell my parents about any of this-they don't even know that I'm gay.
Including the first time, up to now I've only made love with three people. The other two people were both my boyfriends. They were also high school students-I don't want to get involved with older men anymore. Wait! I want to warn everybody-you MUST, I repeat, MUST use a condom. That even goes for oral sex.