Condom use among sexually active teenagers in Europe has declined significantly over the past decade, but the rate of unprotected sex remains “worryingly high,” the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

“This puts young people at significant risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancies,” says a statement from WHO Europe.

Data from a survey of more than 242,000 15-year-olds in 42 of the 53 countries in the WHO European Region, which includes Central Asia, showed that the proportion of sexually active teenage boys who used a condom during their last sexual intercourse fell from 70 percent in 2014 to 61 percent in 2022.

Among girls who reported using a condom during their last sexual intercourse, the proportion fell from 63 to 57 percent.

Almost a third of adolescents said they had not used a condom or birth control pill during their last sexual intercourse. This has hardly changed compared to 2018.

The use of the contraceptive pill also remained relatively stable between 2014 and 2022: 26 percent of 15-year-olds said that they or their partner used it the last time they had sex.

The report also showed that teenagers from low-income families were more likely to not use condoms or the pill. Thirty-three percent said they had not used condoms or the pill during their last sex, compared to 25 percent from wealthier families.

“Age-appropriate, comprehensive sexuality education continues to be neglected in many countries and, where it is available, has come under increasing criticism in recent years due to false beliefs that it promotes sexual behaviour,” WHO Europe Director Hans Kluge said in a statement.

“The truth is that providing young people with the right knowledge at the right time will result in optimal health outcomes related to responsible behavior and decision-making,” he said.

According to the WHO, inadequate sexual education not only leads to higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, but also to higher health costs and impaired educational and career opportunities for young people.

“We are reaping the bitter fruits of these reactionary efforts, and things will get worse unless governments, health authorities, the education sector and other key stakeholders truly recognize the root causes of the current situation and take steps to address them,” the statement said.

The agency called on policy makers, educators and health care providers to invest in comprehensive sexuality education, improve access to sexual health services, promote dialogue and better train educators.