The number of young people
having unprotected sex in the West has risen sharply over the past two
years, a survey said, with health professionals concerned the safe sex
message is falling on deaf ears.
The study showed particularly
sharp increases among sexually active teenagers in the United States and
in European countries such as France who were failing to use
contraception with a new partner.
In the United States, the percentage rose from 38 percent in 2009 to
53 percent now, while France saw an increase from 19 percent to 40
percent.
The survey to mark World Contraception Day also discovered that
Thailand is a particular cause for concern because as many of 62 percent
of young Thais have had unprotected sex with a new partner.
But the figure was above 50 percent in countries as diverse as China, South Korea, Norway and Estonia.
The study highlights that across Europe, the Asia-Pacific region,
Latin America and the United States, the most common reason for not
using contraception is a lack of preparedness for sexual activity.
Up to a third of young people in those regions said they did not have any form of contraception available when at the time of intercourse.
Jennifer Woodside of the International Planned Parenthood Federation said: "What the results show is that too many young people
either lack good knowledge about sexual health, do not feel empowered
enough to ask for contraception or have not learned the skills to
negotiate contraceptive use with their partners to protect themselves
from unwanted pregnancies or STIs (sexually transmitted infections)."
Source: Tanya Thomas, MedIndia, 27 September 2011
and what is the study Tanya ???
UK: Let's talk about sex, not contraception - more teens at risk
ReplyDeleteThe number of teenagers in the UK having unprotected sex with a new partner has risen steeply over the past two years.
A new study has found that 43 per cent of sexually active 16 to 19-year-olds admitted to not using contraception when having sex with a new partner, compared to 36 per cent in 2009.
Of the teenagers who admitted having had unprotected sex with a new partner, 23 per cent said they had done so because their partner did not like using contraception, with 15 percent saying they had been drunk and forgotten.
The proportion of girls who said they had a close friend or family member who had an unplanned pregnancy rose from 36 per cent in 2009 to 55 per cent this year.
Only 55 per cent of girls said they considered themselves to be very well-informed about all the contraceptive options available compared to 62 per cent of boys, according to the study.
A total of 16 per cent of boys and girls said they believed the "withdrawal method" was an effective form of contraception.
Nearly one in five girls, 19 per cent, and 16 per cent of boys said they did not receive any kind of sex education at school, with 16 per cent of boys and girls saying they did not trust teachers to provide accurate and unbiased information.
Researchers surveyed 200 British young people as part of a study of 6,026 15 to 24-year-olds in 29 countries conducted in April and May this year. About 61 per cent of the Britons said they were sexually active. The findings have been released to coincide with World Contraception Day, a campaign to improve awareness of contraception.
Jennifer Woodside, of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said: "What the results show is that too many young people either lack good knowledge about sexual health, do not feel empowered enough to ask for contraception or have not learned the skills to negotiate contraceptive use with their partners to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections.
"What young people are telling us is that they are not receiving enough sex education or the wrong type of information about sex and sexuality."Parent Network Scotland said it was important for parents to have an open relationship with their teenagers in
order to tackle issues such as "safe sex".
Director Jackie Tolland said: "Contraception should be part of a wider talk about sex as there is both the STI aspect and the pregnancy one. Emotions and relationships should also be discussed."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The Scottish Government recently published a sexual health framework which sets out the importance of improving sexual health and reducing unintended pregnancies.
"As well as measures to improve education for all young people, including those not in school, the framework recommends women are made aware of the availability of local sexual health services to ensure access to good quality information and support and that longer lasting reversible contraception should be provided to women who are most at risk of unintended pregnancy, where appropriate."
Source: The Scotsman, 26 September 2011