Condom use among teenagers is declining. A survey from the W-H-O has found around a third of teenagers did not use a condom the last time they had sex.
The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children report surveyed young people from 39 countries across Europe, Central Asia and Canada between 2014 and 2022.
In that period, condom use among teenage boys dropped by 9 per cent, and by 6 per cent among girls.
Almost a third of those surveyed reported using neither a condom or the contraceptive pill when they were last sexually active.
Lucy Bosch is the Students Union Welfare Officer at Waterford's South East Technological University.
She says people are not thinking enough about STIs.
"Many young people are worried about unplanned pregnancy when it comes to sex but don't think about STIs.
"When students get the free condoms, I know I've had students say "oh but my girlfriend is on the pill, I don't need the condom".
"I always say back to them that the condom doesn't just protect you against unplanned pregnancies, it does protect you from other diseases. A lot of students, especially third level education students, forget that."
Dr Siobhan O'Higgins from the Active Consent Programme says teaching people how to use condoms is critical to prevent the spread of STDs.
"When they are about to be used, often it can be a very exciting situation, they may put it on wrong, they may not know how to put it on."
In 2022, one in five 15-year-old boys and one in seven 15-year-old girls reported having sex.
The report also found those from low-affluence families were more likely not to use contraception.
Rebekah Connolly from SpunOut says sex education is key to spreading awareness on the importance of condom use:
"Although there may be a good sexual health curriculum, we don't know how exactly it's being rolled out and the ethos of schools definitely does impact how students receive sexual health education."
The WHO has warned the number of sexually active young people engaging in unprotected sex can have far-reaching consequences including unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and an increased risk of spreading STIs.
Reporting by Emily Keegan & Beat News
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, Beat102103.com.
