Condom usage in the UK hits all-time low despite STI increases leaving clinics ‘at breaking point’
Condom use is at an all-time low rate in the UK, according to new statistics. (Getty)
Condom use has hit an all-time low in the UK, according to new statistics, despite an increase in STIs leaving sexual health services “at breaking point” in the country.
Johnnies, rubbers, love gloves – whatever you call them, condoms are the only form of contraception that can prevent sexually transmitted infections, HIV and pregnancy. And despite that little ticket to ride (if you catch our drift) being even thinner and less likely to inhibit sensation these days, just 15% of people have purchased condoms this year.
According to new statistics from Durex on condom use in the UK, those who are sexually active in the country are less likely to purchase condoms compared to the rest of the world (28%). This puts the UK at 33rd of the 36 countries surveyed on condom use within the last year.
Only 11% of people surveyed admitted to always using condoms, which is alarming given the increase in sexually transmitted infections in the country. It’s not looking good for us Brits in the bedroom.
Those who chose not to buy condoms cited a perceived lack of sensation (16%), lack of spontaneity (14%) and the thought of them being moodkillers (13%) as reasons for not wanting to use them.
Sex expert Alix Fox said about the results: “The statistics on how shockingly low condom use is in the United Kingdom are deeply concerning to me.
“It’s time for the UK to change their minds and change their ways, making foregoing condoms history, and moving to a future where they’re better protected.”
Earlier this year, the Local Government Association (LGA) revealed that more than 75% of councils saw an uptick in cases of gonorrhoea and syphilis since 2017. There have also been increases in cases of chlamydia in 36% of local authority areas.
As per the LGBT Foundation, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men remain one of the groups with high numbers of STI cases in the UK.
You can find STI testing and treatment services in the UK here, and you can search for free condom services in England here.
