NY lonely women want to chat?" Such lines pop up in chatrooms frequently, behind names such as "Loveseeker", "True lover" or something equivalent to "Stud".

　　You answer his words and he proceeds to ask you for information about yourself: age, height and weight, possibly moving on to ask you to meet him in person. If you agree, he gives you his mobile phone number.

　　More than 30 per cent of one-night-stand sexual encounters in China are arranged through the Internet, according to a survey by Netease, one of China's leading portals. More than 20 per cent got to know each other through chatrooms.

　　"It is impossible to estimate the quantity of casual sex taking place," said Psychological Consultant Wang Yuru, whose Q&A columns in women-oriented magazines has gained her many followers. "But the number of cases has increased over time, that is certain."

　　In China one-night-stands are generally called "yi ye qing"(one night love), although sociologist Liu Dalin has said: "better to call it 'yi ye xing' (one night sex), as little love is involved."

　　Easy affairs

　　Many websites have "uni-town dating" programmes, where people can post information seeking dating partners. Sina.com even advises users of this programme to be prepared for disappointment at meeting the date in person.

　　People may think this far from a romantic encounter, but most of the parties in one-night-stands reach each other through arranged channels, such as single clubs, theme bars, and chatrooms with names like, "Loving Strangers", which are often packed during weekends.

　　The Internet makes it possible for users to make a rough selection of candidate partners. People can check the information and find those equivalent to themselves in background, education level and social status. That explains why names like "Master Degree Man" can also appear in chatrooms.

　　Orgies and promiscuity are not - and will never become - mainstream practices, even though social problems related to sex will increase, said Liu Dalin. "Young people are eager to copy the conduct of Westerners, but they don't realize these kind of practices are not dominant there either."

　　Breaking from more than 30 years of sexual repression, today's Chinese youth tends to rebel against social codes.

　　It is difficult to generalize about thesgroupsof people who go for one-night-stands, but the increasing population of singles and late marriages make the gap between sexual maturity and married life ever wider. A large number of urban youth dwell in long years of sexual hunger.

　　"Instead of falling into marriage hastily, I'd rather have some easy affairs," said a woman of 27. "They are just appetizers before my Mr. Right."

　　"Casual sex is effective for adjusting sexual hunger, but it has disadvantages," Liu said.

　　Basic instincts

　　One woman seeking advice said she couldn't help going to bed with many different men, engaging in one-night-stands as frequently as possible.

　　"She came to me because she felt it was a problem," Wang said. "I believe that the body has impulses and basic instincts. However you meet the need, as long as it doesn't hurt others, don't worry about it."

　　But for this specific case, the individual is seeking to continually renew the fresh feeling of sex, until it became a mental problem.

　　"People like this lose the climax experience of sex when deep love is involved," Wang said. "It is depriving oneself of the right to enjoy beautiful feelings and sex together."

　　Wang also had one extreme case of a man who was seduced by his adopted mother in adolescence. He could not get into a stable relationship with any woman, but kept up sexual relations with many of them. One woman who attempted to start a serious relation with him was frightened away by his experience, and he had to go on with the lifestyle which he himself considers abnormal.

　　"One can't judge marriage and relationships by traditional values," Wang said. "With the development in information, transportation, mobility ... you can't put chastity, stability and permanence in first place."

　　Sex morality is being left aside as people undergo drastic changes in sexual ideas.

　　"I slept with her because we both knew it was impossible for the relationship to go any further, which added to the excitement," said one young local man.

　　"I have actually lost interest in women. All I want is sex," admitted one man who seeks casual sex partners online.

　　The opposite also happens. A young woman without any sex experience met a man driving a fancy car and went out with him. She had been an obedient girl, spending most of her time studying and going to a famous university. She fell into deep confusion when close and intimate contact happened between them.

　　"She had no knowledge about sex. After long years of sexual hunger, she felt she couldn't be choosy any more," Wang said.