News room

• News News News
• Press office
• IPPF News releases
• Events
• News

‘Clueless or Clued-up’: multi-national survey highlights failure to provide young people with sexual health information and services

London, 26 September 2011

The results of a survey of 5,426 young people (15-19 years) around the world as part of World Contraception Day highlights high levels of unprotected sex and significant barriers to information and services on sexual health.

The third annual survey, ‘Clueless or clued-up: Your right to be informed about contraception’, launched today on World Contraception Day (Monday 26 September) and is endorsed by international organisations working in the field of sexual and reproductive health.


Key findings from the survey include:

•    Since 2009 the number of people having sex without contraception with a new partner has increased by 111% in France (from 19% to 40%), 39% in the USA (from 38% to 53%) and by 19% in Great Britain (from 36% to 43%) ,  

•    On average, only half of young people surveyed across Europe (55%) receive sex education in school compared to three quarters across Latin America (78%), Asia Pacific (76%) and the USA (74%)

•    Over half of the young people surveyed in China, Estonia, Kenya, Korea, Norway and Thailand reported having had unprotected sex with a new partner at least once

•    In Egypt 36% of men and women believe that bathing or showering after sex is an effective form of contraception. Having sex during menstruation is considered an effective way to prevent a pregnancy by more than a quarter of respondents in Thailand (28%) and India (26%)

•    42% of respondents in Asia Pacific and 28% in Europe who could not get hold of contraception when they needed it claimed it was because they were too embarrassed to ask a healthcare professional

•    22% of young people across Asia Pacific, 20% across Europe and 14% in Latin America said that their school does not provide a comfortable environment for questions on sexuality and intimacy

Doortje Braeken, the internationally renowned youth sexuality expert from the Netherlands, who leads the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s work on young people, sex and sexuality, said:

“The survey results show high levels of unprotected sex amongst young people coupled with poor knowledge of effective contraceptive options and alarmingly inadequate comprehensive sexuality and relationships education.  How can young people make decisions that are right for them, and which protect them from unwanted pregnancy and STIs, if we do not empower them and enable them to acquire the skills they need to make those choices?”

According to the survey, there are many countries where sex education is not provided. Overall in Europe around half of respondents receive sex education (55%) compared to three quarters in Latin America (78%), Asia Pacific (76%) and the USA (74%) and in some European countries, considerably less than half were taught about sex in school (Latvia 34%, Slovenia 35%, Turkey 21%). In Egypt only 12% of young people received any sex education in school. Even in areas where young people are more likely to receive sex education, there are reports of teachers providing information about contraception that the respondents later realised was inaccurate or untrue (Colombia 29%, Estonia 18%, Korea 16%, Great Britain 14% and Mexico 14%) or of the environment at school not being conducive to asking questions about sexuality and intimacy (Asia Pacific 22%, Europe 20%, Latin America 14%).

When asked why they had had unprotected sex with a new partner, 15% of respondents across Asia Pacific and 14% in Europe said they did not like contraception and 16% in Asia Pacific said their partner preferred not to use it.  In Italy the number of people saying they do not like contraception has increased from 3% to 24% since 2010.   As many as 23% of young people in Uganda and 13% in Slovenia said they had had sex without contraception with a new partner because they did not want to appear ‘uncool’. Across Asia Pacific the main reason respondents could not get contraception when they needed it was because they were too embarrassed to ask a healthcare professional (42%). 28% of young Europeans, 27% of young Latin Americans and 24% of young people from the USA, who could not access contraception when they needed it, also cited this as a problem.

Many respondents who reported that they had experienced problems obtaining contraception when they needed it said that this was because they did not know which method to look for (Latin America 23%, Asia Pacific 22%) or because they did not know where to get it from (France 36%, Sweden 25% and Australia 24%).  In addition to this, approximately half of the young people surveyed in some African and European countries believe that the ‘withdrawal method’ is an effective method of contraception when in fact it is highly unreliable (Uganda 52%, Russia 50% and Turkey 52%). In Egypt 36% of men and women believe that having a bath or a shower after sex would prevent a pregnancy and in Singapore 19% believe this is effective (a 137% increase on 2010 when just 8% believed in this method).5 Having sex during menstruation is considered an effective form of contraception by more than a quarter of young people in Thailand and India (28% and 26% respectively).