WHO study warns of ‘worrying’ levels of unprotected sex among teenagers
Condom use among adolescents has fallen significantly in Europe over the last 10 years, with “worrying” levels of unprotected sex, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) published on Thursday.
“This situation exposes young people to a significant risk of sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies,” WHO Europe said in a press release.
The WHO compared data from 42 countries in Europe, Central Asia and Canada based on surveys of 242,000 15-year-olds carried out between 2014 and 2022.
The proportion of boys who said they used a condom the last time they had sex fell from 70 per cent in 2014 to 61 per cent in 2022. Among girls, the percentage fell from 63 per cent to 57 per cent over the same period.
Use of the pill remained relatively stable between 2014 and 2022, with 26 per cent of 15-year-olds saying they or their partners used the contraceptive pill the last time they had sex.
Socio-economic disparities
Three in 10 teenagers said they used neither a condom nor the contraceptive pill the last time they had sex, a figure that has remained stable since 2018.
The study also shows significant differences between socio-economic groups, with teenagers from low-income families more likely to have unprotected sex.
"Equipping young persons with the right knowledge at the right time leads to optimal health outcomes"
The WHO is calling on governments, health authorities and the education sector to recognise and address the causes of the situation.
“Age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education remains neglected in many countries, and where it is available, it has increasingly come under attack in recent years on the false premise that it encourages sexual behaviour, when the truth is that equipping young persons with the right knowledge at the right time leads to optimal health outcomes,” said Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe.
In Flanders, 20,000 young people between 11 and 18 were surveyed in 2022 by researchers at Ghent University.
The region scores significantly higher than the WHO Europe average on use of the contraceptive pill, behind only the Netherlands, with 48 per cent of girls and 50 per cent of boys saying they or their partner used it. In terms of condom use, the region ranks 28th. Around one in five adolescents did not use any protection the last time they had sex.
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO JIM WATSON / AFP
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