WHO Europe laments declining rates of condom use among sexually active teens worldwide

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization’s office for Europe is decrying a decline in condom use by adolescents in recent years. It has warned of risks of infection and unplanned pregnancies as a result in countries ranging from Canada to central Asia. The findings came in the latest report by WHO Europe on health behavior in school-age children. The report was drawn from surveys of nearly a quarter-million 15-year-olds across 42 countries between 2014 and 2022. Among sexually active teens surveyed, the percentage of boys who said they had used a condom in their last sexual intercourse dropped to 61% in 2022, from 70% in 2014.