  Sex education helps children obtain knowledge and awareness of sexuality, and
protects them against sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, and sexual
abuse. Sex education is not well taught to children in China -- both
school-based education and parental communication on this topic are limited. To
interrogate the status quo of sex education in China and explore suitable
interventions, we conducted a series of formative studies including interviews
and social media analysis. Multiple stakeholders such as children, parents,
education practitioners, and the general public were engaged for an in-depth
understanding of their unique needs regarding teaching and learning sex
education. We found that school-based sex education for Chinese children was
currently insufficient and restrictive. Involving parents in sex education
posed several challenges, such as a lack of sexuality and pedagogy knowledge,
and embarrassment in initiating sex education conversations. Culture and
politics were major hurdles to effective sex education. Based on the findings,
we reflect on the complex interactions between culture, politics, education
policy, and pedagogy, and discuss situated design of sex education in broader
cultural and social contexts.
