U.S. and Non-U.S. Scholars

Fulbright New Century Scholars Program
Overview • Previous NCS Programs • NCS Scholar List • NCS Brochure • 2001-2002

Yan Hai Wan

Independent Public Health Researcher
Abstinence-only Program in a Borderless World
China

Yan Hai Wan (China) is an independent researcher in the field of Public Health. Currently, he is Visiting Researcher at the Social Psychology Institute of China Renmin University and
Coordinator of the AIZHI Action Project (a NGO on HIV/AIDS, http://www.aizhi.org).

For the past 10 years, Dr.Wan has been focusing on HIV/AIDS related safer sex education, gay & lesbian rights, mental health, rights of people with HIV/AIDS, law and policy, and religious issues.

Dr. Wan was founder and coordinator of the AIDS Helpline at China National Health Education Institute (1992-1993) and Director of the Department of Health and Anthropology of Beijing Modern Management College (1994-1999). In 1997-98, he was a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Feminist Research of the University of Southern California (1997-1998)

· Wan, Y.H. (2000) Fallen Shepherd: Comparison of Abstinence-Only Education and Safer Sex Education. A Research on the Unification Church and Its Front, International Education Foundation. (Independent publication by Beijing AIZHI Action Project.) Beijing, July.
· Wan, Y.H (2000) How to create law on HIV/AIDS (AIZHI Action Project, Beijing, December. 2
· Wan, Y.H (2000) A Strange Love Affair: Chinese Authorities Embrace the Unification Church's Teaching on Sexuality. China Rights Forum. Winter 2000-2001, published by Human Rights in China).
· Wan, Y.H. (2001) China Health News and the Henan Province Health Scandal Cover-up. (http://www.usembassy-China.org.cn/english/sandt/ChinaHealthNews-criticism.html, a summary translation of AIZHI web article by US Embassy China.

Since the late 1980s, the degree of freedom for scholars, writers and activists to explore issues related to sexuality has been gradually expanding in China. However, there have been many backlashes along the way, as official conservatism has led to the shut down of independent initiatives and the banning of books. The arrival of HIV/AIDS in China in the 1980s and the explosion in rates of infection for sexually-transmitted diseases finally forced the central authorities to accept more open reporting on such issues in recent years, and to sanction some programs promoting safe sex practices. But those who advocate strict, traditional morality as a solution for preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS have not faced the official suspicion and hostility directed at more liberal-minded activists.

For several years now, a small New York-based foundation has aggressively spread its conservative message in China: sex before marriage is immoral, fidelity in marriage is essential and abstinence is the only way to prevent AIDS. (ELISABETH ROSENTHAL, Group Founded by Sun Myung Moon Preaches Sexual Abstinence in China, New York Times, September 12, 2000). As part of the welfare-reform act of 1996, US Congress authorized $50 million of federal funds annually for five years to be provided to the states in the form of block grants to promote abstinence until marriage.

My research will analyze the history and background of abstinence-only program as a way of controlling HIV infection/STDs and teen pregnancy in USA and China. The research project will focus on the combination of the sexual conservative forces in the 2 countries. The research will also discuss the abstinence program in other countries, for example, South Africa and Russia.