The report additionally confirmed that teenagers from low-income households have been extra prone to not use a condom.
Copenhagen:
Condom use amongst sexually lively teenagers has declined considerably in Europe over the previous decade, with charges of unprotected intercourse “worryingly excessive”, the World Well being Group stated Thursday.
“That is placing younger folks at vital threat of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies,” WHO Europe stated in an announcement.
Knowledge from a survey of greater than 242,000 15-year-olds throughout 42 of the 53 international locations that make up the WHO European area, which incorporates Central Asia, confirmed that the proportion of sexually lively teenage boys who used a condom the final time that they had intercourse fell from 70 % in 2014 to 61 % in 2022.
The determine for ladies who stated a condom had been used the final time that they had intercourse fell from 63 to 57 %.
Virtually a 3rd of adolescents stated they used neither a condom nor a contraceptive tablet the final time that they had intercourse, largely unchanged from 2018.
Use of contraceptive tablets additionally remained comparatively secure between 2014 and 2022, with 26 % of 15-year-olds reporting that they or their accomplice had used it the final time that they had intercourse.
The report additionally confirmed that teenagers from low-income households have been extra prone to not use a condom or a tablet, with 33 % reporting utilizing neither throughout their final intercourse, in comparison with 25 % from extra prosperous households.
“Age-appropriate complete sexuality training stays uncared for in lots of international locations, and the place it’s obtainable, it has more and more come underneath assault in recent times on the false premise that it encourages sexual behaviour,” WHO Europe director Hans Kluge stated in an announcement.
“The reality is that equipping younger individuals with the proper information on the proper time results in optimum well being outcomes linked to accountable behaviour and selections,” he stated.
The WHO stated that along with increased charges of STIs and unplanned pregnancies, insufficient sexuality training additionally results in elevated healthcare prices and disrupted training and profession paths for younger folks.
“We’re reaping the bitter fruit of those reactionary efforts, with worse to come back except governments, well being authorities, the training sector and different important stakeholders really recognise the foundation causes of the present scenario and take steps to rectify it,” it stated.
The company urged policymakers, educators and healthcare suppliers to spend money on complete sexuality training, enhance entry to sexual well being companies, promote dialogue and higher prepare educators.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
