《TAIPEI TIMES》HPA offers tips for safe dating on Qixi

BE AWARE: Couples should meet for dates in familiar places with plenty of people, and be assertive in saying ‘no’ should their partner not respect their boundaries, the HPA said

By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

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About 35.6 percent of reported sexual assault cases on people aged 12 to 18 were committed by a boyfriend or a girlfriend, the Health Promotion Administration （HPA） said yesterday, while recommending tips for young people to protect themselves while dating during the Qixi Festival.

Qixi Festival, or Lovers’ Day, is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, which this year is today.

Ministry of Health and Welfare data showed that 3,998 incidents of sexual assault involving adolescents aged 12 to 18 were reported last year.

About 1,422 of the cases （35.6 percent） were allegedly committed by a boyfriend or girlfriend, 728 cases （18.2 percent） by an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend and 436 cases （10.9 percent） by an online friend, the HPA said.

It urged young people to avoid drinking beverages or alcoholic drinks from unknown sources while on dates, and follow five tips to protect themselves when dating.

First, young people should carefully choose a meeting location, avoiding dark or desolate places, or illegal venues, it said.

They should choose places they are familiar with that have many people present, such as a zoo, amusement park or fast-food restaurant, to reduce the risk of being alone in a strange place. They should also tell a friend or family member if they decide to change the location.

Second, they should pay attention to their partner’s ability to manage their emotions by observing if the partner often becomes angry and expresses verbal or physical aggressiveness, which would indicate emotional instability, such as threating to cause harm or damage property, it said.

They should try to protect themselves and leave to seek help as soon as possible if their partner appears to lose control during a date, it said.

Third, they should avoid asking or telling too much about their partner’s private or sensitive matters when they are not yet familiar with each other, and instead respect each other’s thoughts and values, the HPA said.

Fourth, they should not cross each other’s physical boundaries, and be ready to say “no” and stop any uncomfortable behavior, it said.

If their date does not respect their boundaries, try to leave quickly, it added.

Fifth, young people should not sacrifice their principles during a date, the administration said.

Partners should respect each other and not force the other to do something against their will, so if they feel uncomfortable with a demand or behavior, they should stand their ground and end the date early, it said.

In other news, the Centers for Disease Control （CDC） yesterday collaborated with the Taiwan Urbani Foundation and the Ministry of Education on an HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaign, releasing a promotional video and launching a lottery to encourage HIV self-testing.

Starting from yesterday and running until Sept. 19, people who purchase an at-home HIV rapid self-test kit on the CDC’s Web site （https://hiva.cdc.gov.tw/Selftest）, which can be picked up at convenience stores, can enter the lottery by completing the test and registering the results anonymously with the CDC.

The centers recommends people who are sexually active to take the test at least once, while people who have sex without a condom to take the test at least once per year and people who are at higher risk of infection （such as those who share needles and have multiple sex partners） to take a test every three to six months.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES