The World Health Organization warns that an alarming decline in condom use is endangering the health of young people.
The WHO questionnaire A survey of nearly 250,000 15-year-olds in 42 countries and regions in Europe and Canada found that condom use among sexually active adolescents declined significantly between 2014 and 2022, leaving them at significant risk of sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions.
Nearly a third of 15-year-olds reported not using a condom or taking the contraceptive pill. While sexual activity rates remained relatively stable, with 20% of boys and 15% of girls reporting having had sex in 2022, the percentage using a condom when they last had intercourse fell from 70% to 61% among boys and from 63% to 57% among girls.
The UK has one of the lowest rates of condom use, while teenagers in Wales and Scotland report the biggest declines of all countries surveyed.
Only 37% of girls in Scotland and 40% in Wales said they had used a condom the last time they had sex. This is a significant drop from 60% and 57% respectively in 2014.
The number of boys using protection also fell, with less than half in Scotland (47%) and Wales (46%) saying they would use a condom in 2022, down from 59% and 69% in 2014. In England it fell slightly, from 62% to 61%.
This compares to France and Spain, where in 2022 more than two-thirds of girls and around three-quarters of boys reported using condoms. In Germany, the figures for boys and girls were just under 60%. The highest rates were in Armenia, Switzerland and Greece, where around three-quarters of adolescents used condoms.
The report calls on governments to ensure access to quality sexuality education and to facilitate access to contraceptive services for young people.
“While the report’s findings are disturbing, they are not surprising,” said Dr Hans Henri P Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
“Age-appropriate, comprehensive sexuality education continues to be neglected in many countries and where it is available, it has come under increasing attack in recent years based on the false assumption that it encourages sexual behavior, when the truth is that equipping young people with the right knowledge at the right time leads to optimal health outcomes linked to responsible behavior and choices.
“We are reaping the bitter fruits of these reactionary efforts, and it will get worse unless governments, health authorities, the education sector and other essential stakeholders… take steps to put this right.”
Lisa Hallgarten, head of policy and public affairs at sexual health charity Brook, said the charity’s own data showed “a worrying level of reliance in the UK on the withdrawal method, which offers no protection against sexually transmitted infections and is extremely unsafe for preventing pregnancy”.
“At a time of rising STI rates, it is more important than ever that we create a culture of condom use,” she said. In addition to good relationship and sex education, she called for “a national public health campaign around safer sex and condoms and proper funding of our sexual health services to ensure that condoms are free and accessible to everyone who needs them.”
Amelia Whitworth, head of policy, campaigns and research at UK children’s charity Plan International, said: “This report should be a warning sign to European governments.
“We have seen an alarming rise in anti-rights movements that seek to strip girls and women of their existing rights in law. From stripping women of their right to abortion to restricting what girls are taught about their bodies, hard-won and essential rights are being eroded.
“We must ensure that all children and young people have access to comprehensive sexuality education to learn about their bodies, their sexuality and what healthy relationships look like. Without meaningful action, we risk robbing girls and young women of their right to choose their own future.”
Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services Chair Dr Janet Barter said the report highlights a “worrying trend” that means those most at risk of unwanted pregnancy are even less likely to use contraception.
She said: “Young people need to receive high-quality, evidence-based education on sexual and reproductive health issues so they can make healthy reproductive choices for themselves and their partners. Anything less is failing our young people and future generations.”
A government spokesperson said: “We know there is still much work to do to ensure everyone has timely access to sexual health services, and we are determined to shift the focus from treatment to prevention and reduce the inequalities that cause ill health.
“The consultation on the proposed changes to the statutory guidance on educational relationships, health and sex education is now closed and the government will carefully consider the next steps.”