A survey of students in Chongqing uncovered what government experts see as a high incidence of homosexuality, and some say pollution is to blame. The survey found that 10 per cent of university students in the country's most populous municipality admitted to having had a homosexual experience - consistent with international norms but much higher than government estimates of 1 to 3 per cent. The report, by students at Chongqing Normal University, won the Challenge Cup, a competition for university students' projects. About 900 students participated in the survey, which also found that men were more likely to have had intimate homosexual contact than women. Zhu Qi, the deputy director of the government-sponsored China Sexology Association, said the figures were abnormal and could be partly blamed on Chongqing's environmental pollution - which, he said, interfered with bodily hormones. He added that 'the burgeoning sexual liberalisation in modern Chinese society affects rebellious college students the most'. But Li Yinhe, a prominent sexologist, interpreted the results differently. 'Far away from home, the absence of parental surveillance, loneliness and, most importantly, awareness of their rights and individuality all contribute to the popularity of sex in colleges and universities.' The report also found that 13 per cent of respondents - 24 per cent of men and 10 per cent of women - were found to have had pre-marital sex. A survey in 2001 showed that 10 per cent of students had engaged in pre-marital sex. Ms Li said she believed the report underestimated the actual situation, since pre-marital physical check-ups show 60 to 70 per cent of women who get married on the mainland are no longer virgins. 'Interviewees have motives to conceal their true status in China,' she said.
