In England half of young people do not use condoms for sex with new partner

Almost half of sexually active young people do not use a condom when sleeping with someone for the first time, and more than one-third of young people think carrying protection is a sign someone is promiscuous, according to the YouGov poll of 2,007 young people about attitudes towards contraception, the Guardian reports.

One in 10 sexually active 16 to 24-year-olds, the age group that accounted for 59% of chlamydia and gonorrhoea diagnoses in England last year, said they had never used a condom.

Despite the high rates of sexually transmitted infections among young people, 58% said the main reason for using condoms was to avoid pregnancy, compared with 29% for avoiding infections.

The report revealed that sexual health was a difficult subject for young adults to discuss, with 56% of men and 43% of women saying they found it hard to talk about STIs with friends.

The research found that 32% of young adults had never seen a condom in a sex scene on TV or in films.

On the key finding that 47% of sexually active young people have had sex with someone new for the first time without using a condom.

According to experts, the figures are really alarming and highlight the genuine need for better access to good, sensible, sexual health education for everyone.