Before she taught sex education to young people full time, Du Li spent several years teaching Chinese as a head teacher at Dingxin'xinjian Primary School in Dujiangyan, Sichuan province.
Du only realized the true importance of sex education when she attended a related lecture in 2011. In addition to her teaching duties, she was working as a part-time psychological counselor at the school, but six months after the lecture, she quit her job and moved into sex education.
"Many people said it was stupid to quit such a well-paid position, but later they realized the value of my work," Du said, adding that many young people have no access to sex education so they have to rely on their parents for basic knowledge.
To fully understand her new subject, Du attended classes provided by the AIDS Prevention Education Project for Chinese Youth, and she is now a member of her current school's "Youth Love Station", a counseling center funded by the project.
She said she has benefited greatly from her decision, because the job has changed her life and given her the opportunity to correct young people's ignorance and reshape their world.
In the face of parental opposition, Du has repeatedly explained the benefits the children enjoy and has also invited parents to attend her classes.
"I often ask parents who oppose the classes why are they willing to leave their children to learn (about sex) from the internet, rather than from well-trained teachers," she said.
She added that children benefit from an early understanding of sex because they may be reluctant to discuss the topic if they lack information, which could lead to misunderstandings.
"Some children may have a sense of sex at a very young age," Du said.
She recalled the time a grandmother undressed her 5-year-old grandson in the women's locker room at a swimming pool, noting that the naked boy was embarrassed and covered his genitals with his hands.
The aim of sex education is to teach children how to protect themselves and avoid harm, she said, adding that along with answering young people's questions, parents and teachers must inform them of the responsibilities they need to shoulder, even at a young age.
