Contraception use increasing

Tuesday 3rd July 2007

Today people having sex for the first time are more likely to use contraception than ever before, new research has revealed.

The 2007 Face of Global Sex report, which took data from the Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey, shows that teenagers aged 16 to 19 years are eight times more likely to use contraception than older generations did at that age.

If teenagers delay when they first have sex until the age of 17 years, they are also more likely to use contraception, but less likely after the age of 18.

People who talk openly about sex and sexual health with their parents, other family members or with their partner are also more likely to use contraception than those who do not.

Women are 25% more likely than men to take precautions when losing their virginity.

However, the report shows that pressure to have sex, drinking alcohol and fear of catching a sexually transmitted infection or becoming pregnant does not in fact influence whether people use contraception when having sex for the first time.

Peter Roach, Durex Network Vice President, said: "We believe youngsters need to receive greater support, through comprehensive sexual education programmes involving schools, health services and society at large, to enable them to better plan for their first sexual experience and to ensure they are equipped to make informed choices about contraception.

"But we also believe that this should  be taken even further – beyond the classroom, through colleges and universities and into the workplace to ensure the effective communication of safer sex messages to people of all ages."

Durex

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