Behind the Rainbow, "Tongqi" Wives of Men Who Have Sex With Men in China: A Systematic Review.

Yuanyuan Wang,Ke Peng,Runsen Chen,Zhishan Hu,Shicun Xu,Amanda Wilson

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02929

Abstract

BackgroundDue to the restrictions and stigmatization of homosexuality in China, there has emerged the “Tongqi,” or the wives of men who have sex with men (MSM). There are around 14 million Tongqi wives whose needs for support are often overshadowed. This phenomenon has been largely under researched, this review is the first to address the current data on the Tongqi. The aim of this systematic review is to begin to provide insight into the pre-existing data and the further support that is needed for the wives of MSM.MethodsThe researchers searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CNKI, Sinomed and WangFang databases from their inception date until June 7, 2019. Handsearching was also completed to provide a rich data set.ResultsThe articles were summarized and analyzed for thematic clusters. From the selected article, five themes emerged, including Sexual Health Issues, Intimate Partner Violence, Mental Health Status, Marriage Dissatisfaction, and Coping Strategies. These themes often intersected to provide a complex understanding of the current gaps in support provided to Tongqi.ConclusionTongqi wives remain a hidden population in Chinese mainstream society, who deserves a sensitive approach to support. The study revealed that the MSM wives suffer severe mental, physical, health, and life related harms. However, instead of situating them into the victim roles, many women take on an identity of empowerment and are working together, aiming to make social changes. In order to address the Tongqi phenomenon, it is also essential to reduce the discrimination toward homosexuality. Tongqi are a special group of Chinese women, they require further intensive research attention.

Highlights

Previous international studies have focused on the mixedorientation marriages between homosexual men and heterosexual wives (Higgins, 2002; Hernandez et al, 2011; Kissil and Itzhaky, 2015; Hopwood et al, 2019)
Due to the lack of laws concerning homosexual marriage and the pressure on men who have sex with men (MSM) in China to continue the family line, it is more likely women enter into marriage without carefully considerations, which could increase the population of Tongqi
The results showed that Tongqi women have various susceptibilities to serious mental health disorders, such as suicide

Summary

Introduction

Previous international studies have focused on the mixedorientation marriages between homosexual men and heterosexual wives (Higgins, 2002; Hernandez et al, 2011; Kissil and Itzhaky, 2015; Hopwood et al, 2019) For investigating these mixed-orientation marriages, it is important to consider the contextual environment, social, and cultural context (Kissil and Itzhaky, 2015). In China, due to discrimination, men who have sex with men (MSM) are a sexual minority and remain hidden as a population (Zhu, 2018). With the increasing visibility of the MSM population, many wives have started to question the sexual orientation of their husbands (Zhu, 2018) This visibility has resulted in the growing number of Tongqi in China.

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Discussion

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