Ask a North Korean: does anyone talk about sex?
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http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/29/ask-a-north-korean-safe-sex-condoms-contraception Version 0 of 1. Growing up in Pyongyang I never heard the word condom. I didn’t know what one was. Even in the early days after my defection to South Korea I didn’t know why they existed, how to use one or where to buy them. I was shocked that sex education was taught in schools across the country, and to see female students being taught how to use a condom in the classroom. Is this what happens in a capitalist society? Of course people have sex, get married and give birth to children in North Korea. It’s just that sex education didn’t exist and family planning was sparse. When teenagers hit puberty and became interested in sex there was no information in schools, or anywhere else, to teach them how to have sex safely. Condoms were very hard to find, vasectomies were not an option and and the only form of birth control was the contraceptive coil. Sex is a form of hedonism that people aren’t allowed to talk about or experience Sex is a form of hedonism that people aren’t allowed to talk about or experience. For this same reason, North Koreans are not allowed to watch porn: if you ever get caught, you’re treated as a political prisoner and subject to punishment accordingly. As with other forms of banned entertainment, contraband videos did make their way in to the country, but to watch them would mean risking your life. Sexually transmitted diseases The lack of information means that people are ignorant about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), especially women. Catching an STD is considered one of the most humiliating things that could happen to you and people suffer rather than seeking medical help. Unwanted pregnancies are another consequence of the lack of information. For unmarried women there is big stigma attached to being pregnant, and many women resort to illegal and unsafe abortions. Humanitarian aid In 1985 the United Nation’s population fund started providing family planning services in North Korea. A few years later condoms started appearing on the black market but most citizens didn’t know what they were. When I was at high school one of my class mates whose father worked at the hospital brought a bag full of condoms to school, they looked like balloons to us so we blew them up. I didn’t realise they were condoms until I left the country. North Korea is a black hole when it comes to information about sex. The government doesn’t believe that its people need to know about safe sex. Maybe they think it could threaten the regime, if people start to enjoy it more freely. A version of this article first appeared on NK News – North Korean news |