Zhu Xinmei (Jiangnan City Daily): It is said that the textbook on HIV/AIDS prevention depicts the issue in a quite vivid way. I feel that sex education must take into full account both the psychological and physical health of middle school students, who are after all a relatively naive group.

We must focus on premarital abstinence and sexual morality.

When Uganda, the most heavily HIV-affected African country, began to energetically promote the ABC approach in 1991, 38 percent of girls aged from 15 to 19 were HIV positive. The rate declined to 7.3 percent in 1998 while the infection rate for adults dropped from 8.3 percent in 1999 to 5 percent in 2000. This may be the world's most dramatic success story of HIV/AIDS prevention. The guide on how to properly use condoms may be helpful in some way, but we need more effective methods that can avoid the many side effects the present teachings may incur.

Wang Yan (Jiangsu-based Modern Express): Since abstinence is suggested in the current textbook on HIV/AIDS prevention, why are there instructions on condom use? Maybe the reason is that the ABC approach is referred to in the textbook. But what this approach stresses is prevention of HIV/AIDS by avoiding incorrect sexual behavior, rather than abstinence.

This is a reflection of contradictory psychology: On one hand, schools have realized the necessity of sex education, so HIV/AIDS prevention courses are provided; on the other hand, the traditional outlook on sex prevents them from giving a full explanation of sexual matters, for fear that too many details may push students firmly toward total sexual liberation. As a result, premarital abstinence and instructions on condom use are two sets of totally contradictory content appearing in the same textbook. To some extent, the contradictory psychology shows the education departments' cautious and responsible attitude in dealing with this issue, something that is not rational. Teenagers are, generally speaking, very curious about sex. At the same moment they are becoming sexually aware, they are being told to abstain. This could stir up even more curiosity or even an antagonistic outlook-the more premarital abstinence is demanded, the more they want to explore the mystery.

Dou Dou (sohu.com): Nowadays in China, sex education is often used as a tool by the media or even the entertainment industry to boost their popularity. It seems condoms are the only method of sex education. Once the condom is part of the program, any activity will soon become attractive. Sex knowledge and especially sexual morality, which should be compulsory knowledge for students, are, however, always neglected. While contraception tools are already very familiar to the young students, without moral restrictions what do we expect to happen to the open-minded children who even think a "one-night stand" is nothing serious? Are we moving toward a scenario where condoms become the root of the sex crisis among Chinese students?