Unprotected sex

The health of Canada's youth is at risk from unsafe sexual practices, which can lead to sexually transmitted infections and infertility.

The 1994/95 National Population Health Survey reported that among 15- to 19-year-olds, 51% of sexually active females and 29% of sexually active males had had sex without a condom during the previous year.

Among young adults aged 20 to 24, 53% of sexually active females and 44% of sexually active males said they did not use a condom.

The extent of unprotected sex among youth can be reflected in the rates of sexually transmitted diseases.

In 2000, the reported incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhea in Canada was highest among females aged 15 to 19 years.

Young people also constitute a proportion of the total number of reported HIV and AIDS cases in Canada. As of June 2002, 3.4% of all of the cases of AIDS reported to the Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control (CIDPC) were among youth aged 10 to 24 years. At the same time, of all of the positive HIV tests reported to the CIDPC, 1.5% were among youth aged 15 to 19 years and 26.9% were among individuals aged 20 to 29 years.