Level of unprotected teenage sex ‘worryingly high’, WHO finds

That is placing younger individuals at larger danger of sexually transmitted infections, unsafe abortions and unplanned pregnancies.

The brand new information was printed as a part of the multi-part Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, which surveyed over 242,000 15-year-olds throughout 42 nations in Europe, central Asia, and Canada from 2014 to 2022.

‘Pervasive’ lower in condom use

The UN well being company stated the information confirmed that “it’s clear that the lower in condom use is pervasive, spanning a number of nations and areas”.

General, the proportion of sexually energetic adolescents who used a condom finally intercourse fell from 70 per cent to 61 per cent amongst boys and 63 per cent to 57 per cent amongst women between 2014 and 2022.

Furthermore, almost a 3rd of adolescents reported utilizing neither a condom nor the contraceptive capsule finally intercourse.

Socioeconomic variations additionally come into play within the report, with adolescents from low-income households extra prone to report not utilizing a condom or the contraceptive capsule as final sexual activity than these from extra prosperous households.

Intercourse training ‘underneath assault’

One of many causes for such a shift in unprotected intercourse is a reluctance in lots of nations to supply intercourse training at faculties, the WHO maintained.

“Age-appropriate complete sexuality training stays uncared for in lots of nations, and the place it’s accessible, it has more and more come underneath assault in recent times on the false premise that it encourages sexual behaviour, when the reality is that equipping younger individuals with the fitting information on the proper time results in optimum well being outcomes linked to accountable behaviour and selections,” remarked Dr Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

He highlighted the cascade of destructive outcomes on account of such behaviors, from elevated health-care prices to disrupted training and profession paths for younger individuals.

“By empowering adolescents to make knowledgeable selections about their sexual well being, we finally safeguard and enhance their general well-being. That is what all dad and mom and households ought to need for his or her youngsters, in every single place,” he concluded.