The World Health Organization’s office for Europe has raised concerns about a decrease in condom use by teenagers in recent years, emphasizing the risks of infections and unplanned pregnancies across regions from Canada to central Asia. This information is based on the latest report by WHO Europe on health behavior in school-age children, which collected data from surveys involving nearly a quarter-million 15-year-olds from 42 countries between 2014 and 2022.
Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Europe regional director, highlighted the concerning trend of declining condom use among sexually active 15-year-olds in certain countries and regions, noting that this could be attributed to the lack of comprehensive sexuality education in many nations. The report also looked into the usage of the contraceptive pill and called for increased efforts by decision-makers to enhance sex education.
Despite attempts to make “age-appropriate” sexuality education available in some areas, it has faced criticism in recent years under the misguided belief that it promotes sexual activity, according to Kluge. The findings revealed a decrease in condom use among sexually active teenage boys, with the percentage who reported using a condom during their last sexual encounter falling from 70% in 2014 to 61% in 2022. The corresponding figures for girls dropped from 63% to 57% during the same period.
While the overall proportion of teens engaging in sexual intercourse has remained relatively steady since 2014, disparities were noted based on family affluence. Adolescents from low-income families were more likely to report not using condoms, with one in three from such backgrounds compared to one in four from wealthier households, as stated by WHO Europe based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The report also highlighted variations in condom use among different countries, showing that condom use was the lowest among girls in Albania at 24% and highest in Serbia at 81%. Conversely, for boys, the lowest rate of condom use was observed in Sweden at 43%, while the highest rate was reported in Switzerland at 77%.
