Results of a New Multi-national Survey, Endorsed by International Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

London (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Young People Report High Levels of Unprotected Sex and Barriers
Affecting Their Right to Obtain Trustworthy Information About Sex and
Contraception

Key survey results

- 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%) [1,2]

- 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

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/bayergroup/52124

To help address the major issue of unplanned pregnancies and
sexually transmitted infections (STIs), international NGOs, including
the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), The
Population Council and Women Deliver speak out on World Contraception
Day to defend young people's right to access accurate and unbiased
information on contraception

The third annual multi-national survey, exploring young people's
attitudes to sex and contraception, has been launched today to mark
World Contraception Day (WCD) 2011, which takes place every year on
26th September. The survey, entitled 'Clueless or Clued Up: Your
Right to be informed about contraception,' has shown alarmingly high
levels of unprotected sex amongst young people as well as poor
knowledge of effective contraceptive options. Furthermore,
respondents are avoiding asking healthcare professionals about
contraception through embarrassment and many cannot rely on their
schools to provide comprehensive sex education.[2]

The survey involved 26 countries and 5,426 young people in Asia
Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the USA as well as 600 people in
Egypt, Kenya and Uganda and is supported by the WCD Youth Task Force
and a coalition of 11 international organizations with an interest in
sexual health.

The results are significant as the level of unplanned pregnancies
is a major global concern, particularly amongst young people.
Worldwide, approximately 41% of the 208 million pregnancies which
occur each year are unintended.[3] In addition to this, one in 20
adolescent girls gets a bacterial infection through sexual contact
every year and the age at which infections are acquired is becoming
younger and younger.[4]

Jennifer Woodside of the International Planned Parenthood
Federation, an NGO partner of WCD, said, "What the results show is
that too many young people either lack good knowledge about sexual
health, do not feel empowered enough to ask for contraception or have
not learned the skills to negotiate contraceptive use with their
partners to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies or STIs.
What young people are telling us is that they are not receiving
enough sex education or the wrong type of information about sex and
sexuality. It should not come as a surprise then that the result is
many young people having unprotected sex and that harmful myths
continue to flourish in place of accurate information. How can young
people make decisions that are right for them and 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?"

Statistics show that more than 40% of young people in Australia,
Chile, Colombia, Great Britain, Indonesia, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland,
Singapore, Sweden and Turkey have already had unprotected sex with a
new partner - this figure rises to over 50% in China, Estonia, Kenya,
Korea, Norway and Thailand. As many as 62% of young Thais have had
sex without contraception with a new partner. The problem also seems
to be getting worse in some countries with considerable increases
since 2009 seen in France (111% - from 19% to 40%), the USA (39% -
from 38% to 53%) and Great Britain (19% - from 36% to 43%).[1,2]

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.[5] 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.[2]

In Europe, Latin America and the USA around half of respondents
said they felt very well informed about contraceptive options (46%,
53% and 53% respectively) - this figure was considerably lower in the
African countries and Asia Pacific where only a quarter of people
felt this way (27% and 25% respectively). Alarmingly, around half of
young men and women in Kenya (49%), Uganda (47%), China (51%) and
India (50%) said they were not very familiar with the different
contraceptive options available to them.[2]

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).[2]

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%).[2]

With the exception of Kenya, Uganda and Egypt, in all regions
websites and blogs are the preferred source of information on
contraception. Within Europe, with the exception of France and Italy,
over half of young people use the internet to get information about
contraceptive options.[2]

Denise Keller, TV presenter and producer from Singapore and
member of the WCD Youth Task Force, said: "No matter where you are in
the world, barriers exist which prevent teenagers from receiving
trustworthy information about sex and contraception, which is
probably why myths and misconceptions remain so widespread even
today. When young people have access to contraceptive information and
services, they can make choices that affect every aspect of their
lives which is why it's so important that accurate and unbiased
information is easily available for young people to obtain - either
online or via educational materials they can take home or carry
around with them."

World Contraception Day 2011 has been initiated and financed by
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals

1. Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. Data on file. Talking Sex
and Contraception Survey. Fieldwork carried out by TNS Healthcare.
July 2009

2. Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. Data on file. Clueless or
Clued Up: Your Right to be informed about contraception Survey.
Fieldwork carried out by GFK Healthcare. April - May 2011

3. Singh, S et al. Unintended Pregnancy: Worldwide levels, trends
and outcomes. Stud Fam Plann. 2010; 41(4): 241-250

4. WHO 10 facts on sexually transmitted infections, WHO Fact File
(Last accessed: August 2011) http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/se
xually_transmitted_diseases/facts/en/index2.html

5. Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. Data on file. Contraception:
Whose responsibility is it anyway? Survey. Fieldwork carried out by
GFK Healthcare. May 2010

Video:
http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/bayergroup/52124

ots Originaltext: Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
For further information, please contact: Hannah Morris,
Associate Director, Ketchum Pleon, Phone: +44-207-611-3579, E-mail:
hannah.morris@ketchumpleon.com