Young people around the world talk about sex

On World Contraception Day 2009 Bayer Schering Pharma and Federation of Reproductive Health Associations, Malaysia calls for young people to take responsibility for their bodies and lives. Bayer Schering Pharma and the Federation of Reproductive Health Associations, Malaysia (FRHAM) marked World Contraception Day 2009 with the unveiling of findings from one of the first ever multi-national surveys exploring young people’s attitudes towards sex and contraception, and called for Malaysian youth to participate in a Regional Youth Pledge to take responsibility of their bodies and lives. The survey, entitled: ‘Talking Sex and Contraception: What Young People Around the World Told Us’, involved over 6,000 young people in 18 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and North America, assessed how communication amongst 15-24 year olds and those around them impacts their sexual activity and their understanding and usage of contraception. The survey findings support recent research showing that adolescents are more likely to have unpredictable and irregular sexual activity than older individuals, and are generally less knowledgeable about how to use contraceptive methods effectively.2 It also revealed that young people across Asia Pacific, Europe and North America are not communicating effectively about contraception, with more than one in three (36%) having unprotected sex, which can lead to unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Over one third are not talking contraception with their current sexual partner before having sex (35%), over a third believe highly unreliable contraceptive methods – such as the withdrawal method – are effective (36%) and one in five are using unreliable contraceptive methods (19%), across the three regions.

(L-R) JV Leong, Head, Administration & General Services of FRHAM, Dr Premitha Damodaran, Prof Jamiyah Hassan, Dr Shunitra Devi and Andy Siow.

Data from the survey showed that young people surveyed in Asia Pacific are the most likely to have sex without contraception compared with other regions surveyed. Of those who have already had sex, 45% have not used  contraception versus 38% in the USA and 33% in Europe. Young people in Asia Pacific are also more likely to not talk to their partner about contraception before having sex for the first time (37%), than any other region. This trend continued with current sexual partners – 39% did not talk about contraception before sex. Those most trusted as sources of information on contraception – such as doctors and mothers – are the least likely to be consulted, as young people feel embarrassed, self-conscious, or are fearful of being seen as promiscuous. Yet, young people are more at ease talking to people they trust the least for information on contraception, such as friends or anonymous people online.

In Malaysia, respondents of the online survey were aged 18-21 years. Highlights of the survey3 are as follows:
_ Over 1 in 2 (56%) young people were not familiar with or confused about the different
contraception methods available
_ Nearly 60% either did not talk about contraception or found it difficult to talk about it with their partner before they had sex for the first time
_ Around 20% have had sex with a new partner without using contraception
_ One out of 3 did not use any contraception because they did not have a contraceptive
method available at the time
_ More then 20% females did not use contraception because they do not like using
contraception and another over 20% females didn’t use because their partner prefers not to
use contraception
_ 24% of males did not use contraception because they are not at risk of pregnancy
_ 91% of young Malaysians think that condom is an effective contraceptive method
_ 69% think that oral contraceptive pill is effective in preventing pregnancy, compared to 89% of young people in Australia, where oral contraceptive pills were first introduced
_ The perceptions on trusted sources on information as well as barriers to broaching the subject with these individuals mirrored sentiments of the region. As a result, one in 5 young people in Malaysia has asked someone online for advice on contraception, higher than other countries in Asia Pacific like Australia, China, Singapore, and South Korea, which were included in the survey
_ To help increase the comfort level with the subject, 59% of young people would like someone they can consult in confidence, 57% would like better sex education in school, and 50% access to more educational reading material “These findings are a cause for concern,” stated Professor Jamiyah Hassan, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist and member of the Asia Pacific Council on Contraception. “Many young people say they are too self-conscious, embarrassed or concerned they will appear promiscuous if they talk about sex or contraception, and consequently are making decisions based on inaccurate information and ‘guess work’. It comes as no surprise that almost half the young Malaysians surveyed have a close friend or family member who had an unplanned pregnancy in the last few years. The sexual habits of young people today are changing, and it is becoming more and more critical to break the silence on sex and contraception – to shatter myths and enable young people to make informed choices about their individual needs.”

Dr Shunitra Devi_Medical Director, Bayer Schering Pharma .

Dr Premitha Damodaran, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist, supporting World Contraception Day, said “Unplanned pregnancies are increasing all around the world. Poor planning and wrong knowledge/use of contraception are contributory factors. In the USA and Japan, 50 to 60 % of pregnancies are unplanned. In Malaysia we don’t have these statistics on hand, however, a local study done on pregnancies in single women in 2004, showed that about 70% of these women were less than 23 years of age. ”The emotional, physical and financial impact of having an unplanned pregnancy and child can go a long way, most of these effects only felt many years later. Many young mothers go through unsafe terminations due to the social stigma attached of being unwed and pregnant.”

“Myths and perceptions with regards to contraceptive methods like the pill and intrauterine device are out dated. With the array of contraception available to us now, it is simpler to find one that suits every type of woman out there. Contraception now has become easy to use, safe, affordable, and with many non contraceptive benefits thrown in such as better control of period cycles and benefits to skin and bone. Thus, we are just left with the growing need to increase this awareness towards contraception in the hope that pregnancy is then not left to chance,” added Dr Premitha.

“As a leader in women’s healthcare and hormonal contraception, Bayer Schering Pharma, along with other like-minded organizations, has been actively driving awareness and education on sexual health and contraception in Malaysia,” said Dr Shunitra Devi, Medical Director at Bayer Schering Pharma Malaysia.

“This World Contraception Day, we are reaching out through the 988 radio airwaves from 5th to 9th October to call upon the youth themselves to play a more proactive role in taking responsibility for their bodies and lives – to speak to a trusted source for advice on sexual health and contraception, and pledge to do so at http://your-life-asia.com/,” Dr Shunitra continued.

“This Regional Youth Pledge is an opportunity for Malaysian youth to join voices with others across Asia Pacific to make the right choices, avoid unplanned pregnancies and STDs, as well as to take responsibility for their sexual and reproductive health.”

This year, a global World Contraception Day Youth Task Force made up of youth thought leaders and celebrities, including MTV VJ Denise Keller, seeks to make a difference by creating global online conversation on Your-Life.com about topics like contraception, using social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Bayer Schering Pharma Malaysia will also be continuing its efforts to increase the awareness on the additional health benefits that new contraceptives offer through MyFM and HitzFM this October 19th to 30th. All are welcome to tune in.