NGOs call on government to strengthen sex education in Taiwan

Taipei, Feb. 2 (CNA) Taiwanese civil society groups on Monday called on the government to strengthen sex education, citing rising online exploitation and sexual abuse of minors.

The Taiwan Association for Sexuality Education (TASE), the Chinese Association for the Development of Affective Education, and the Action Alliance on Basic Education (AABE) made the appeal at a media event marking the release of their list of the top 10 news stories in 2025 in "emotional relationships and sex education."

The list includes data showing that cases of sexual exploitation of minors increased 2.2 times over seven years, while image-related complaints surged eightfold over two years, the groups said.

Another highlighted case involved a coach who received a combined sentence of 464 years after being convicted of sexually assaulting 32 children.

The list also points to structural issues, including annual abortion numbers in Taiwan exceeding 300,000 and changes in the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, with infections rising fastest among those aged 13 to 24.

The civil groups said that the 10 stories underscore that sex and emotional education is not limited to teaching biological structures but involves concepts such as dignity, power, responsibility and values.

They added that the government should integrate health promotion resources and strengthen frontline preventive education to better protect children.

Yang Tsung-tsai (楊聰財), a psychiatrist and TASE supervisor, said the rise in sexual exploitation of minors and legal complaints relating to online images shows that sexual exploitation has shifted to digital spaces.

He said perpetrators often exploit people who trust them to carry out emotional manipulation, adding that traditional sex education overly focuses on physiological knowledge while neglecting emotional and relationship factors.

TASE Chairperson Feng Chia-yu (馮嘉玉) said the true crisis behind changing sexually transmitted disease patterns is the collapse of "psychological defenses."

She said many young women attempt to exchange sex for love or to ease loneliness, using "sexual compromise" as a bargaining chip to maintain connections.

Feng said that if sex education teaches only condom-use techniques without addressing self-worth and behavioral responsibility, young people will still face risks associated with sexual encounters.