Condom use is falling “worryingly” among adolescents in Europe, warns WHO

The United Nations has sounded the alarm. Condom use among sexually active adolescents has fallen significantly in Europe over the past ten years, with proportions of unprotected sexual intercourse “worrying”according to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) published Thursday, August 29. “This situation exposes young people to a significant risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies,” writes WHO Europe.

According to data from more than 242,000 15-year-olds in 42 countries in the region, which includes Central Asia, the proportion of boys who reported using a condom the last time they had sex fell from 70% in 2014 to 61% in 2022. The share of adolescent girls who reported using a condom the last time they had sex fell from 63% to 57% over the same period.

Nearly a third of adolescents (30%) reported using neither a condom nor the contraceptive pill the last time they had sex, a figure that has remained virtually unchanged since 2018. Pill use has also remained fairly stable between 2014 and 2022, with 26% of 15-year-olds reporting that they or their partners used the contraceptive pill the last time they had sex.

The report also shows that 33% of adolescents from low-income families say they have not used a condom or contraceptive pill, compared to 25% of those from more affluent families.

“Age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education remains neglected in many countries and, where available, has come under increasing attack in recent years on the grounds that it encourages sexual behaviour,” “We are all in a situation where we are facing a serious health crisis,” said Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, quoted in the statement. “In addition to increasing STIs and unwanted pregnancies, inadequate sex education is driving up health care costs and disrupting young people’s educational and career paths,” WHO said.