More 15-year-old girls in UK are having sex than boys of same age, WHO report finds

A World Health Organization (WHO) report has revealed that over15-year-old girls in England are likely to have had sex than girls of other nationalities of the same age. When pitted against boys, the girls outscore them.

The report also found that they are less likely to use a condom, a worrying trend experts say is putting them at risk of unplanned pregnancy and sexual diseases.

WHO raised concerns about them not using condoms and says this highlights the need for better sex education. The body added that access to contraception also needs to be improved.

As part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, researchers conducted a survey among 242,000 15-year-olds in 42 countries between 2014 and 2022.

The survey found that 21 per cent of 15-year-old girls in England had sex in the most recent year, as compared to an average of 15 per cent across all nations.

On condom use, the percentages of those having used one were lesser than girls from other countries. Among the girls saying they have had sex, 48 per cent in England said they used a condom the last time. The global average was 57 per cent.

However, other methods of contraception did see a growth in this period. More of them were using the contraceptive pill during the time condom use went down.

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Forty-one per cent of them said they were on the contraceptive pill while 32 per cent did not use any of the methods. The global numbers were 26 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively.

Sex survey among boys

Among boys in England, the average number of them having sex at the age of 15 saw a decline when compared to other countries.

The survey found that around 18 per cent of 15-year-old boys in the country have had sex. The number was down from 22 per cent in 2018. In other countries, an average of 20 per cent of 15-year-old boys admitted to having sex.

Meanwhile, the use of condoms saw a decline as compared to the figures of 2018. Just 61 per cent of them used a condom as per the latest survey, while the number was 69 per cent in 2018.

Dr Hans Henri P Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said, "We need immediate and sustained action, underpinned by data and evidence, to halt this cascade of negative outcomes, including the likelihood of higher STI rates, increased healthcare costs, and - not least - disrupted education and career paths for young persons who do not receive the timely information and support they need."