Over half of women graduate students in China show a free and open attitude to sex and marriage and understand why other girls are forced to stay as lovers with rich men or why some are forced to work at night clubs.

Fifty-six percent of them said they could understand a girl becoming the lover of a rich man, though they wouldn't do it themselves, while 20 percent said they despised such behaviour and another 20 percent said they have no idea why girls do that.

Only a negligible two percent considered it normal and said they may make the same choice one day, the People's Daily reported.

In another poll 55 percent showed an understanding attitude towards girls who work in night clubs, with nearly three percent saying it is normal.

The survey was conducted by the Fudan University journalism school in June 2010 with over 900 women participants from Shanghai's 17 universities.

About 40 percent of the women were from Shanghai, while the rest were from other parts of the country.

Terms like pre-marital live-in relationships, one night stands and pre-marital sex are no longer taboo among university students, with nearly 70 percent showing an understanding attitude towards living together before marriage.

Almost 13 percent said they were okay with living together if their boyfriends wanted it and almost seven percent think living together is romantic and is a way to make hearts grow fonder, while 10 percent said it is indecent.

About five percent admitted they once lived with a lover in college and 50 percent said pre-marital sex is acceptable when both sides were willing.

Regarding one-night stands, 70 percent said they don't think it is immoral and 59 percent said 'it is acceptable when both sides want it'.