Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1526669
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 SEPTEMBER 2024 NEWS young people still having unprotected sex (23%). The percentage of Mal- tese girls having sex (15%) is substantially lower than that in Italy and Germany (19%), Spain (22%) and Sweden (25%). Overall, in all countries sur- veyed, boys were more likely than girls to report condom use during their last sexual inter- course (61% among boys versus 57% among girls). The largest differences between genders were observed in Albania (37 percentage points) and Malta (22pp). The gender difference was significant in 12 of the 42 coun- tries and regions. Of these, boys were more likely to report condom use in eight countries, while girls were more likely to report it in the remaining four countries (Lithuania, Poland, Serbia, and Slovenia). Condom use among girls was lowest in Albania (24%) and highest in Serbia (81%) and in Moldova (75%). For boys, the lowest rate of condom use was reported in Sweden (43%), while the highest rate was re- ported in Switzerland (77%). No clear geographical pattern was evident, but the lowest condom use overall was report- ed in Albania, Greenland, Kyr- gyzstan, Sweden, and Scotland. Girls from well-off families have more sex The study also throws light on class differences and inequali- ties. When it comes to sexual be- haviour the survey shows that while only 14% of females hail- ing from less affluent families have had sexual intercourse, the figure rises to 21% among those from higher-income families. But among boys the picture is completely different. While 25% of boys from lower-in- come backgrounds have had sex, the percentage falls to 17% among the most affluent. The study does not provide a break- down by social class for the use of contraception due to an in- sufficient sample size. The HBSC survey The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study is a large school-based survey conducted every four years in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Eu- rope. HBSC data are used at nation- al, regional, and international levels to gain new insights into adolescent health and well-be- ing, understand the social determinants of health, and inform policy and practice to improve young people's lives. The survey relies on the self-re- ported replies of respondents, which may not always accu- rately reflect real activity. The report describes the cur- rent sexual health status of adolescents by analysing their sexual initiation, contraceptive pill and condom use (or non- use) during their last sexual intercourse, the role of gender, age, and social inequality, and how adolescent sexual behav- iour has changed over time. The study specifically calls for sustained educational and health interventions "to pro- mote condom use, combined with other highly effective con- traceptive methods". Schoolteachers should al- so receive additional train- ing to enable them to provide high-quality sexuality and re- lationships education and help their students to develop skills in these areas. Crucially, reproductive health services should be youth-friendly, tailored to young people's "developmen- tal, cultural and logistical needs" and available to young people "without any gatekeep- ing measures" like requiring parental permission for referral to medical practitioners being imposed. Moreover, sex education should include the discussion of topics such as "consent, re- spect, gender equality, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans- gender, intersex, queer/ques- tioning and asexual diversity". Malta Average Boys who have had sexual intercourse 17% 20% Girls who have had sexual intercourse 15% 15% Boys who used condom at last sexual intercourse 62% 61% Girls who used condom at last sexual intercourse 40% 57% Boys who did not use a condom at last sexual inter- course 28% 36% Girls who did not use a condom at last sexual inter- course 53% 30% Boys who used neither a condom nor the contraceptive pill at last sexual intercourse 28% 30% Girls who used neither a condom nor the contraceptive pill at last sexual intercourse 40% 31% Boys who used pill at last sexual intercourse 39% 25% Girls who used pill at last sexual intercourse 25% 26% 2014 2018 2022 % % % Boys who have had sexual intercourse 25% 25% 17% Girls who have had sexual intercourse 19% 15% 15% Boys who used condom at last sexual intercourse 41% 46% 62% Girls who used condom at last sexual intercourse 41% 33% 40% Boys who used neither a condom nor contraceptive pill at last sexual intercourse NA 43% 28% Girls who used neither a condom nor the contraceptive pill at last sexual intercourse NA 61% 40% Boys who used pill at last sexual intercourse 16% 19% 39% Girls who used pill at last sexual intercourse 5% 6% 25% Malta: 15-year-olds who… Comparison between Malta and average in 42 countries/ regions surveyed: 15-year-olds who…