By Erin Pangilinan

"Let's talk about sex" is something not usually heard in an Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) household. But on different California college campuses like California State University Fullerton (CSUF), that's the focus of discussion.

This time the community based research class was held at CSUF (as a joint project with National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF), California Young Women's Collaborative (CYWC), and the Asian American Studies Department at CSUF) and their studies found some alarming health disparities in sex education. 

The CSUF class was not a 'closed space' that was only for women—AAPI men also took part in the class, calling themselves “NAPAWF boys.” Sex education isn't simply a 'women's rights issue,' but a broader health issue that affects everyone.

Their research ranged from issues of the taboo subjects of sexual assault, contraception usage, and sexual activity among college students.

It's a shock to hear some of their class findings in their surveys. They found that AAPI women students were more likely to use the withdrawal method of contraception and that those who were in a relationship were less likely to use a more effective birth control method, which could help prevent unwanted pregnancy. It's also not a surprise to hear that among all racial groups (excluding African American/Black women), AAPI women had the lowest rate of a pap smear screenings and low usage of birth control. Condoms were also used more often as it was more accessible for women (rather than getting a prescription for birth control pills). 22% of AAPI women students were uninsured, or more than 1 in 5 females, which is greater than the national average. The greatest factors for AAPI women to seek out more information and help were: relationship status, insurance coverage, and available doctors.

These statistics show the higher likelihood of AAPIs being prone to face the dangers of cervical cancer, unwanted pregnancy, other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). With less funding for AAPI focused health research, students recommended to also give more information and resources by reaching out to their campus student organizations and health centers.

The class has been held at UC Berkeley in previous years and is set to hit UC Irvine campus next Fall. It's a step to help close the gap in data and research on health disparities and help figure out what can improve the health of the AAPI community. More campuses across the nation should consider adopting classes like these. For more information, visit NAPAWF.