Trends in Inequalities in the Use of Condom by Urban Teenagers in Spain

Abstract

Social and economic inequalities in condom use by adolescents have been reported previously. Also, condom use has declined during the last decade. The aim of the study was to describe trends in the use of condoms in our setting, and how these trends may differ between socioeconomic groups in boys, and separately in girls, aged 17-19 years attending school in Barcelona between 2004 and 2012. We analyzed data from three annual surveys on risk factors in secondary students, which included a representative sample of the city's population; individuals who had previously had sexual intercourse (n = 1570) were included in the study. We calculated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and their confidence intervals (95% CI) using robust Poisson regression models. The prevalence of condom use among boys was 87.0% in 2004 and 76.2% in 2012, and 76.7 and 64.7% among girls, respectively. This decrease was greater in adolescents with a low socioeconomic level, both in boys (aPR = 0.80) and girls (aPR = 0.84). The observed increase of socioeconomic inequalities in condom use in adolescents highlights a possible deterioration in good sexual practices and policies during the studied period.

Recent trends in sexually transmitted infections among adolescents, Catalonia, Spain, 2012–2017

“…25,26 Although behavioural data quality, in terms of data completeness, vary for some variables and conclusions need to be drawn with caution, high-risk behaviours such as low levels of condom use and the high number of sexual partners prior to STI diagnosis are presumably contributing to the increase in STIs as it has been described in other studies. [27][28][29] In conclusion, STIs represent a growing health problem in adolescents, thus a targeted approach is essential for this age group. In addition, the diagnosis of an STI in adolescents represents an opportunity for prevention as it allows identification of individuals who would benefit from interventions to modify risk behaviours and to prevent subsequent infections, including HIV infection.…”

“…Although behavioural data quality, in terms of data completeness, vary for some variables and conclusions need to be drawn with caution, high-risk behaviours such as low levels of condom use and the high number of sexual partners prior to STI diagnosis are presumably contributing to the increase in STIs as it has been described in other studies. 27–29…”

Factors associated with prior engagement in high-risk sexual behaviours among adolescents (10–19 years) in a pastoralist post-conflict community, Karamoja sub-region, North eastern Uganda

“…Early sex initiation among young people including adolescents has been shown to predispose them to a myriad of sexual and reproductive health complications including HIV acquisition [57]. With existing evidence [58, 59] indicating decreasing condom use among adolescent girls and boys in general, organizations implementing HIV prevention programs should focus on interventions aimed at delaying sexual initiation in order to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition among adolescents and young people in this setting.…”

Bayesian smoothed small-areas analysis of urban inequalities in fertility across 1999–2013

“…The variation also suggests that the decrease in fertility in this group could be greater in affluent areas. In the case of Barcelona, other proxy indicators suggest the increase in the differences, such as decrease in the use of condoms by adolescents from disadvantaged social classes [32]. Pregnancy in adolescents in deprived areas is a concern, as it is one of the main contributors to the circle of disease and poverty [33].…”