WHO Europe is Concerned About the Global Decline in Adolescent Condom Use

The European office of the World Health Organization lamented on Thursday the fall in teenage condom use in recent years and warned of infection risks and unintended pregnancy in nations ranging from Canada to central Asia.

The results, which were obtained from surveys of almost a quarter of a million 15-year-olds conducted in 42 countries between 2014 and 2022, are included in the most recent report on health behavior among school-age children published by WHO Europe.

In a preface to the report, Dr. Hans Kluge, regional director of WHO Europe, stated, “While results varied widely across the countries and regions, the most important observed trend since the (health behaviour in school-age children survey) in 2014 is of declines in some countries and regions in condom use among sexually active 15-year-olds.”

The results, which also looked at the usage of the pill as a form of birth control, he described as “dismaying” but “not surprising,” given the disregard for sexuality education in many developing nations. The authors and WHO pushed policymakers to take further action to enhance it.

“Age-appropriate” sexuality education has been under increasing criticism in the nations that offer it, according to Kluge, “on the false premise that it encourages sexual behavior.”