The emerging European youth are displaying a decreasing tendency to utilize condoms prior to engaging in sexual activities.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the younger generation in Europe is showing a downward trend in using condoms before having sex. As per data from 2014 to 2022, the number of sexually active teenagers using condoms has significantly decreased, while the rate of unprotected sex is worryingly high, as reported in a recent report by WHO's European regional office in Copenhagen. This situation leaves young individuals vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies, the organization cautions.
The report is part of a wider health study involving 15-year-olds from 42 European, Central Asian, and Canadian countries/regions, surveyed every four years between 2014 and 2022 regarding their sexual health. One of the findings revealed that a substantial number of sexually active participants reported having unprotected sex. Specifically, the percentage of boys who used a condom during their latest sexual encounter dropped from 70% in 2014 to 61% in 2022, and from 63% to 57% among girls. Nearly one-third (30%) did not employ any form of protection, such as condoms or the pill, during their last sexual encounter.
The European Union is one of the regions involved in the comprehensive health study conducted by the World Health Organization. The downward trend in condom usage among the younger generation in Europe, as indicated by the WHO report, could potentially increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies within this demographic, according to the organization.
