Migrant Females

Today I attended a Hopkins-Nanjing University event. The ironic thing is: I do not attend (nor have I ever attended) John Hopkins or Nanjing U. No, no, I didn't go just for the heck of it...went with a friend!

Anyways, I just finished reading an article about unmarried female migrant workers' contraceptive health knowledge. Although this article was written in the beginning of the twenty-first century, the basic message still rings true. Premarital sex is, in some areas, viewed with more leniency now; however, acknowledging to engaging in premarital sex (especially by unmarried females) is frowned upon. Even if unmarried women engage in premarital sex, they make sure to hide it from their parents so that their families do not "lose face."

Family planning centers are widely available, but, as the article states, these unmarried migrant females see these centers are places for married women. They are too embarrassed to seek out contraceptive knowledge and resources. Furthermore, they believe that it is sinful for unmarried women to even look inside contraceptive stores; it is not their place to do so. To emphasize this point, one professor told me that even when free condoms are placed in a public area, single females will send friends who have boyfriends/significant others to take some for them.

Maybe a small step toward removing the perception that only married women can and should access contraceptive methods is changing the title "family planning center" to "health for couples" or "relationship health?" These suggestions may not be very good, but hopefully they will stimulate better ideas.