Young people’s health at risk from fall in condom use, warns WHO

International survey of 250,000 15-year-olds found nearly a third of them did not use a condom or the pill

An alarming decline in condom use is putting young people's health at risk, the World Health Organization has warned.

The WHO's survey of nearly 250,000 15-year-olds in 42 countries and regions across Europe and Canada found that between 2014 and 2022, condom use among sexually active adolescents declined significantly, putting them at significant risk of sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions.