On Thursday, the World Health Organization’s office for Europe lamented a recent fall in condom use among teens, warning of infection and unwanted births in countries ranging from Canada to Central Asia.
The findings appear in WHO Europe’s most recent study on health behavior among school-age adolescents, which was based on surveys of nearly a quarter-million 15-year-olds conducted in 42 countries between 2014 and 2022.
“While results varied widely across the countries and regions, the most important observed trend since the (health behavior in school-age children survey) in 2014 is of declines in some countries and regions in condom use among s3xually active 15-year-olds,” said Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Europe regional director, in a preface to the report.
He described the findings, which also looked at the use of the contraceptive pill, as “dismaying” but “not surprising,” given the lack of s3xuality education in many nations. WHO and the authors urged decision-makers to do more to improve the situation.
In countries where “age-appropriate” s3xuality education is offered, “it has increasingly come under attack in recent years on the false premise that it encourages sexual behavior,” Kluge stated.
