Romanian Youths Unhappy With School-Provided Sexual Education - Study

Young people in Romania need to be better informed in order to protect their sexual health, according to the results of a study by Durex.

The study, called "They Won't Know Unless We Tell Them," examining the knowledge, attitude and practices of young Europeans, is the fifth report by the Durex Network Face of Global Sex, which develops yearly reports on various topics relating to sex life.

The research was conducted as a survey of people aged 15 to 20, from 15 European states - nine Western and six Eastern countries. The more than 15,000 respondents were questioned on their experience as regards sexual education and its impact on their sexual health.

The results indicated a high level of ignorance among European countries as regards sexually-transmitted infections (STIs). For instance, four in ten Romanian youths wrongly believe they could catch an STIs from a toilet seat. Regarding their perceived risk of catching an STI, 19.1% of Romanians said they believe it is small to zero, compared to 37.5% in Slovenia, 50% in Germany and 70.3% in Belgium.

Asked whether they would use a condom when having intercourse with a new partner, 3.4% of Romanians said no, behind Turkey (14.4%) and Poland (3.5%). One in five Romanian youths said they had used no protection for their most recent sexual experience.

Romanian young people's lack of knowledge is reflected in their perception of the sexual education received in school, with more than half (53.9%) stating their teachers were unprepared to educate on the subject.

The study shows Western European countries had a higher score than Eastern countries, and girls fared better compared to boys.

"The results show a significant difference between countries in Eastern and Western European countries, pointing to the need for greater involvement by European organizations, a new approach and continued research to find the reasons behind these differences," said Anca Musat, Durex Marketing Manager.

Durex Network was founded in 2005, as part of the company's social marketing activities. It has collaborated with politicians, healthcare professionals, non-government organizations, educators and charities to promote sexual health.

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