One in ten schoolgirls have unwanted pregnancy

One in ten schoolgirls have unwanted pregnancy
By Leo Leonidou

ONE in four schoolgirls aged 14 to 18 has had sex, with ten per cent facing an unwanted pregnancy, it has been revealed.

In a survey carried out by the Institute of Reproductive Medicine and the Youth Board of Cyprus, out of 1,668 year two Gymnasium and year three Lyceum students, 24 per cent said they were sexually active, with 68 per cent of those saying they were active by the age of 16.

Boys had more sex than girls with figures of 37.3 and 13.2 per cent respectively.
Commenting, Director of the Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Doctor Andreas Chrysanthou, said that of those who are sexually active, “one tenth have contracted a sexually-transmitted disease and one-quarter have suffered from psychological problems.”

He added that one in five do not use condoms and that many watch pornography
Additionally, the survey showed that one in ten have had a homosexual experience at least once.

Despo Hadjiloizou, Executive Director of the Family Planning Centre stated that “sexual education, the availability of contraception and youth-friendly services can all help to prevent unwanted pregnancies.”

She added that the young were pressurised into having sex too early. “There is an assumption out there that everybody is doing it, but in reality, things are different,” she told the Mail.

“There is pressure being put on them by the mass media and their peers every day, so they end up thinking that having sex is the norm.”

She explained that people “must feel empowered and confident and must be aware of the dangers. Teenagers should be able to make informed decisions and have open channels of communication with their partners, parents and teachers.”

Hadjiloizou also called on the government to make sex education obligatory in schools for children aged six and above.

“This must be undertaken in a constructive way for the benefit of young people,” she said.

Globally, it is estimated that 15 million girls aged 15 to 19 have an abortion every year.

In Cyprus, the above statistics were made public as a new low-hormone contraceptive pill, suitable for younger women, was released onto the market.

Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008

Well its positive that so many teenagers are having sex but the whole one in ten being homo business is not cool at all unless its mainly girls. They should clarify this issue before the negotiations start.