How well protected are sexually active 15-year olds? Cross-national patterns in condom and contraceptive pill use 2002-2006
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Saoirse Nic Gabhainn1, Adriana Baban, William Boyce
1Health Promotion Research Centre, School of Health Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. saoirse.nicgabhainn@nuigalway.ie
Objectives:
To present comparative data on sexual initiation, and condom use and contraceptive pill use at last intercourse among adolescents in Europe, Israel and Canada.
Methods:
Data were collected by self-report questionnaire from nationally representative samples of 15 year olds in school classrooms in two cross-national surveys undertaken in 24 countries in 2001/02 and 30 countries in 2005/06.
Results:
In 2005/06 almost 27% of those surveyed had had sex and almost 86% reported using condoms or the contraceptive pill at last intercourse. This reflects little change since 2001/02 in prevalence of sexual initiation and a general increase in being well-protected at last intercourse. There were wide variations with up to a third of sexually active 15 year olds in some countries at risk for either Sexually Transmitted Infections or pregnancy, or both.
Conclusions:
Most adolescents were well protected against Sexually Transmitted Infections and pregnancy, but an important minority remain at risk, with very wide cross-national differences.
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