College campaign aims to end period shame

Criticism

Though the campaign has been championed on social media, it has also been criticized and even mocked. Some critics said the boxes should be placed inside the washrooms for greater privacy.

In one incident at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, the containers were deliberately placed outside male washrooms and daubed with references to masturbation.

"It's rude and improper to make a connection between menstruation and masturbation. Despite the similar spelling, they are entirely different, both physically and mentally. People can choose masturbation, but women have no choice about periods, which are often painful," said Tong Li, secretary-general of the China Sexology Association.

He said the campaign urges both men and women to take a rational view and eradicate the shame surrounding the topic.

"But the fundamental way to remove the taboo would be to promote sex education, which is still lacking in China's education system nationwide," Tong added.

In China's schools, there are neither national guidelines nor a national curriculum for sex education. Instead, related content is incorporated with health education, which is included in the physical education and health curriculum. In reality, sex education is mainly undertaken by NGOs in a limited number of schools.

"Sex education is crucial. It not only provides children with knowledge about sex and gender, but also guides them to find healthy and positive ways to explore their lives and their relationships with others," said Liu Wenli, an associate professor with the School of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at Beijing Normal University.

Liu has been researching sex education since 1988. In 2006, she established a new research team and compiled teaching materials for different age groups, from children at kindergartens to college students.

Based on her studies, Liu said children who receive sex education deal with parental or peer relationships better than those who don't.

"Also, sex education has been shown to help children form a more tolerant, many-sided and freer view of the world," she said.

Of the attitudes that can be influenced by sex education, she said the understanding of gender is usually formed at a very early age.

"That's why we are conducting research on sex education in kindergartens. To remove social stereotypes about gender, such education should be introduced as early as possible," she said.