The public is divided regarding a new policy in Zhejiang Province that gives away free condoms on university campuses, with some believing the policy to be state-sponsored promiscuity, while others saying that it is a logical step in the right direction, according to a report by the Global Times.
The Zhejiang Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission announced recently that all 128 universities based in the province would have free condom dispensing machines installed in campus. The machines are an effort to reduce accidental pregnancy and curb the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
According to Li Danhe, the head of contraceptive management of the commission, at least 10 colleges have already installed the contraceptive dispensers. All the other universities in the province would have at least one machine within a year.
In March of this year, the Zijingang campus of Zhejiang University in Hangzhou was the first to install a machine. It provides condoms, contraceptive suppositories and spermicidal gel.
By scanning their ID card on the dispenser, anyone between the ages of 18 and 60 can obtain free contraceptives.
Over 1,000 boxes of contraceptives have been distributed, and the machine has been restocked around once a week. Those who use the machine are predominantly male students.
The machines have caused an outcry from people who claim they threaten traditional social norms, like abstinence and premarital virginity.
One female student at Zhejiang Ocean University, who asked to remain anonymous, said, "It will contaminate the school's atmosphere. Both me and my parents are angry about it!"
However, some have applauded the idea of installing the machines.
"Sexual intercourse is not rare in colleges," said one student from Zhejiang University. "Since there is no way to stop it, we should protect the students. The machine offers easy access to contraception and students will feel less embarrassed than going to a store. This can protect girls from accidental pregnancy."
In 2012, Xiaokang magazine released the results of a poll stating that 70 percent of respondents said that they have engaged in premarital sex, a 30-percent increase from 1994.