Selling sex and sidestepping the state: Prostitutes, condoms, and HIV/AIDS prevention in Southwest China

Abstract

In the summer of 1997, I walked into the newly constructed Elephant Spring Hotel 1 in Jinghong to discover one of the most unique small tourist shops I had ever seen on three continents.The glass front display case was divided into two sections, one with toothbrushes, cards, towels, and film, and the other displaying every kind of condom imaginable. A Guangzhou brand called International (~oji) had a picture of a young white couple on the cover, she in a sexy pink-flowered sheath-dress and he in a white suit. The couples depicted on the box were caressing each other in a languorous pose on a grassy knoll. The caption on the box read,"Love plus feeling at ease equals speaking from the heart" (aixin +fan,tin = chen~xin). A smaller packet of condoms had a diffused soft light image of a Chinese woman seen from her back. She was naked with her long black hair reaching to the middle of her back, focusing the yellow lighting on her round buttocks where her hands lay against her body.This Tianjin brand of condoms were called Harmonious and Happy Condoms (hele fao), with a caption that 1. All of the proper names of my informants mentioned in this article are pseudonyms.

Behavioral Studies of Female Sex Workers in China: A Literature Review and Recommendation for Future Research

“…Most of these studies employed multiple qualitative approaches. For instance, four studies employed both ethnographic observation and individual in-depth interviews (Gil 1994; Huang et al 2004;Hyde 2000;Liao et al 2003); one study used focus group discussions and individual interviews (Wong 2003;Wong and Yilin 2003); and one study used ethnographic observation, individual interviews and print media data (Gil 1994). Five qualitative studies were conducted in Southwest and South China (Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, and Hainan), and one study was conducted in Shanghai, the largest city in China.…”

“…Because of the illegal nature of commercial sex in China, it is difficult to access and retain these hard-to-reach groups and to study their clients and stable partners. The privatization of health care in China and the severe stigma against FSWs have further limited their access to adequate and timely health care (Hyde 2000;Wong and Wang 2003). Because it may be unrealistic to expect a rapid policy change in the near future at the central government or legislators towards commercial sex in China, any future HIV/STD prevention and intervention efforts targeting FSWs in China should emphasize both stigma reduction and empowerment at the community level.…”

Changes and correlates in multiple sexual partnerships among Chinese adult women – population-based surveys in 2000 and 2006

“…The modern discourse on sexuality in China originated in the early 20 th century with the emergence of the medical study of sex (Dikotter, 1995), and since the 1990s, has gone on to explore a variety of topics, including prostitution (Hershatter, 1997) and its re-emergence in the reform era (Pan, 1999; Huang, Henderson, Pan & Cohen, 2004; Hyde, 2000; Zheng, 2008), homosexuality (Hinsch, 1992), the sociological impact of economic reforms on sexual norms (Farrer, 2000; Jefferys, 2002; McMillan, 2006; Pan, 2008), changing sexual behaviors (Pan et al, 2004; Parish, Laumann & Mojola, 2007), attitudes toward premarital and extramarital sex (Farrer & Sun, 2003; Pan et al, 2004), divorce (Tang & Parish, 2000), and the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases (Parish, Laumann, Cohen et al, 2003). Only a few of these works focus on women’s sexuality (Harriet, 1997; Li,1994; Huang, 2008; Pei, Ho & Ng, 2007).…”

Current trends of HIV/AIDS in Asia

“…Also, when condoms are made available for sale at public places like airports, bars, and restaurants, and when colleges and universities give away condoms to both male and female students along with a brief explanation as to why condoms can reduce the likelihood of transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. [38][39][40] It is important to note that the transmission of HIV is not exclusive to sexual intercourse. Patients that undergo surgery, blood transfusions or dental procedures could be exposed to HIV if proper testing and sanitation protocols are not followed.…”