Gen Z hates condoms

Condoms have never been so accessible: they are found in pharmacies, supermarkets, vending machines at tobacco shops, on Amazon, in a roommate's drawer, and even in nightclub bathrooms. Their cost is also low, considering that a dozen of the iconic Settebello can be purchased for €2.18. The WHO released a report on the decline in condom use among young people: the study, conducted from 2014 to 2022, interviewed 242,000 fifteen-year-olds in 42 countries around the world, showing that condom use dropped from 70% to 61%. A rather concerning figure, which aligns with the ongoing global rise in Sexually Transmitted Infections. In the United States, syphilis is now considered an epidemic - which some time ago even disrupted productions in the porn industry - while in Norway, chlamydia has become so common that the country was dubbed the Land of Chlamydia in a 7Eleven advertisement. Another alarming statistic from the WHO study is that one-third of the adolescents interviewed do not use any form of contraception, neither physical nor oral. While it was known that GenZ was the least sexually active generation in history, the facts highlighted by this latest report make the issue of sexual education increasingly relevant.

As reiterated in the WHO report, the main cause of the decline in condom use among young people is the lack of adequate sexual education. While one might think that the young age of the respondents is to blame, the data does not always improve with age: according to a UNESCO analysis, 71% of young people aged 15 to 24 seek information and sexual education online. A clear example is Reddit, with the channel r/healthyhooha, dedicated to sharing information about vaginal health, which has 119k members, including young people dealing with their first experiences and older women sharing their experiences with menopause. Although young people's desire to educate themselves is positive and reassuring, at the same time, it cannot be the only form of information regarding sexual matters. As emphasized multiple times by scientific studies (and also the main theme of the Netflix series Sex Education), when it comes to sex-ed, the presence of an expert is mandatory, which is why it becomes increasingly necessary to have it as part of the mandatory school curriculum. Unfortunately, in Italy, the situation remains stagnant, as since 2022, the government has yet to decide on the action plan for sexual education in schools, due to the discrepancy between the interests of the Lega and Fratelli d’Italia duo and the alliance between the Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party.

The failure to use condoms falls into the same category of sexual ignorance that goes hand in hand with the lack of screening for sexually transmitted diseases and infections. In Italy, the number of people undergoing these types of routine tests has increased in recent years but remains overall lower than the European average. According to the Ministry of Health, the number of people who took a test for chlamydia increased by 32% in 2021 compared to 2020, but the numbers still remain lower than the European average. The discrepancy between Italy and other countries is due to the lack of physical locations to carry out the tests: in the United States and the United Kingdom, people are "encouraged" thanks to free tests, available in hospitals and clinics without even needing an appointment. In Italy, there are only 12 clinical centers and 12 laboratories of clinical microbiology participating in the Ministry’s Surveillance Systems campaign, a program that makes screening open to everyone without appointments - in regions like Campania, Basilicata, Molise, and Abruzzo, there is a total absence of these facilities.

In recent years, condoms have become increasingly present in pop culture: remember the mountain of condoms from the Durex x Diesel collab during the Italian brand’s FW23 collection show. Yet, despite this visibility and the ongoing battle against stigma, condom use continues to decline. So why, if they are de-stigmatized, are they being used less and less? Many point to the issue of "perception", claiming they are uncomfortable, factors that contribute to the myth of condom futility. However, considering the possible consequences, including unwanted pregnancy or the pain of a sexually transmitted disease, a few seconds of discomfort becomes immediately less annoying. Right?