There has been an “alarming decline” in condom use among teenagers in Europe, increasing the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies, according to a new report by WHO Europe.
It found that there has been a decline in condom use since 2014, with the number of sexually active boys who said they used a condom during their last intercourse falling from 70 percent to 61 percent in 2022. For girls, the percentage fell from 63 percent to 57 percent.
The WHO’s Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, published Thursday, surveyed over 242,000 15-year-olds across 42 countries and regions between 2014 and 2022.
The decline of condom use is “worrying,” WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said, noting the increase risk of disease and unintended pregnancy.
Most recent data suggests that rates of STIs are surging in Europe. In 2022, gonorrhoea cases rose by 48 percent compared with the previous year, syphilis cases by 34 percent, and chlamydia cases by 16 percent. Left untreated, chlamydia and gonorrhoea can lead to infertility while syphilis can cause neurological and cardiovascular issues.
Thurday’s findings underscore the need for “supportive prevention and intervention strategies that target young people’s sexual health,” Kluge said.
The number of sexually active teenagers remained relatively stable since 2014, the report found, with one in five boys and one in seven girls reporting having had sex.
Contraceptive pill use also remained relatively stable between 2014 and 2022, with 26 percent of teenagers reporting they or their partner used the pill at their last sexual intercourse. And about 30 percent of teenagers reporting using neither a condom nor a contraceptive pill at the last intercourse, a similar rate to 2018.
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