Condom use among European teens 'worryingly' declining — WHO Agence France-Presse

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Condom use among sexually active teens has declined significantly in Europe over the past decade, with rates of unprotected sex "worryingly high", the World Health Organization said Thursday. "This is putting young people at significant risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies," WHO Europe said in a statement. Data from a survey of more than 242,000 15-year-olds across 42 of the 53 countries that make up the WHO European region, which includes Central Asia, showed that the proportion of sexually active teenage boys who used a condom the last time they had sex fell from 70 percent in 2014 to 61 percent in 2022. The figure for girls who said a condom had been used the last time they had sex fell from 63 to 57 percent. Almost a third of adolescents said they used neither a condom nor a contraceptive pill the last time they had intercourse, largely unchanged from 2018. Use of contraceptive pills also remained relatively stable between 2014 and 2022, with 26 percent of 15-year-olds reporting that they or their partner had used it the last time they had sex. The report also showed that teens from low-income families were more likely to not use a condom or a pill, with 33 percent reporting using neither during their last intercourse, compared to 25 percent from more affluent families. "Age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education remains neglected in many countries, and where it is available, it has increasingly come under attack in recent years on the false premise that it encourages sexual behaviour," WHO Europe director Hans Kluge said in a statement. "The truth is that equipping young persons with the right knowledge at the right time leads to optimal health outcomes linked to responsible behaviour and choices," he said. The WHO said that in addition to higher rates of STIs and unplanned pregnancies, inadequate sexuality education also leads to increased healthcare costs and disrupted education and career paths for young people. "We are reaping the bitter fruit of these reactionary efforts, with worse to come unless governments, health authorities, the education sector and other essential stakeholders truly recognise the root causes of the current situation and take steps to rectify it," it said. The agency urged policymakers, educators and healthcare providers to invest in comprehensive sexuality education, improve access to sexual health services, promote dialogue and better train educators.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UP Diliman Professors Share Scientists’ Procurement Struggles at Senate Hearing

By Harvey Sapigao Senate hearing of the revised procurement law (Photo credit: Senate of the Philippines) College of Science (CS) Dean Giovanni Tapang held up a little white device as he finished his presentation. “This is a ₱150,000 component,” he described. “Isa lang gumagawa nito sa buong mundo, pero ang hirap pilitin sila na magregister sa PhilGEPS,” he continued, referring to the requirement that foreign companies must first register to the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) before they can sell products to local scientists. Marine Science Institute (MSI) Deputy Director Dr. Irene Rodriguez explained that the small device is a resin that filters metals in water. “May budget tayo,” she said, “pero ang problema ko ay ‘yung resin na ito.” This and other bottlenecks brought about by the procurement law, or the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184), slow down research and development in the country. UPD leaders were invited to the Senate he
Read more

How war is putting Middle East aviation at risk ---AL JAZEERA

The human suffering in Gaza is accompanied by losses that are undermining this vital industry With more than 40 years' experience in aviation, including a stint as chief executive Bahrain's Gulf Air and sitting on the International Air Transport Association's Board of Governors, Royal Jordanian’s CEO Samer Majali is someone who knows the industry in the Middle East – and its challenges – like few others. In an exclusive interview with The National yesterday, he spoke for many executives when he described how six months of violence in Israel and Palestine had hurt his airline and the region’s economy. While the human cost is, of course, the biggest, and Palestinian society is bearing the brunt of this war, its consequences are far reaching. The plummeting bookings, operational difficulties and financial losses being experienced by the aviation sector are being exacerbated by a widespread perception that the Middle East is in turmoil. “They lump the region as a homogeneous
Read more

Azerbaijan looks to enhance ties with Kuwait --- By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Azerbaijani Ambassador to Kuwait Emil Karimov stated that the strong and historical ties between Kuwait and Azerbaijan pave the way for further strengthening bilateral relations across various sectors. During an iftar held by the embassy for local media, the ambassador said “With a focus on tourism, food, and education, both countries are poised to enhance collaboration and mutual exchange of expertise.” He noted that 30,000 Kuwaiti tourists visited Azerbaijan during the past year. Regarding the trade between the two countries, the ambassador said that the volume of trade exchange for the year 2023 reached $665,000 and Azerbaijan is keen to increase trade exchange with Kuwait. He said the Kuwaiti side has expressed an interest in importing food products from Azerbaijan, signaling a desire to diversify its sources of agricultural goods and strengthen economic ties to enhance trade relations. To deepen cultural understanding and foster people-to-people connections between the t
Read more