Why is Condom Use declining among Gen Z?

When it comes to using contraceptive methods like condoms, Gen Z is the most reluctant.

According to Durex’s Global Sex Survey, only 15% of people in the UK purchased condoms between 2023 and 2024.

This trend isn’t limited to Britain.

In August 2024, the World Health Organisation warned of an “alarming decline” in condom use among adolescents.

A study spanning 42 countries found that nearly a third of 15-year-olds had unprotected sex without condoms or contraceptive pills.

While different birth control methods exist, condoms are the only reliable protection against STIs. Without them, the risk of infection rises significantly.

So why are fewer people using condoms?

According to Shakira Scott, founder of the UK-based sexual education workshop Scotty Unfamous, shame plays a key role.

She said: “There’s a lot of shame in going into the shop and picking up condoms.

“You feel like everyone’s looking at you at the checkout like you’re a s**t.”

Supermarkets reinforce this embarrassment. Condoms are often placed out of easy reach on high shelves or near pregnancy tests, adding to the stigma.

Echoing this sentiment, Raj* said: “It’s difficult to ask for condoms over the counter because people look at you as if you’re about to commit a crime.”

Susan Allen, co-founder of the vegan condom brand XO! By Flo, highlights another issue—marketing.

She points out that most condom advertisements target men, making it intimidating for women to buy them without feeling self-conscious.

Ananya* said: “As a female from an Asian background, I feel I will be judged by the salesperson, the cashier, and also the people around me.”

It seems contradictory that Gen Z, with unlimited access to information, would risk STIs and pregnancy due to awkwardness.

But sex therapist Evie Plumb, founder of the podcast Cliterally The Best, explains that for many, their first exposure to sexual education happens in school.

While UK schools are required to teach sex education, most lack the funding to bring in experts.

Instead, students endure rushed, awkward lessons—often led by teachers who seem uncomfortable themselves.

There is also little discussion about using condoms with sex toys, leaving LGBTQ+ individuals without essential knowledge.

Plumb said: “Having that safe space to ask questions that feel silly is important.”

However, classrooms rarely provide that environment.

If schools aren’t educating students about condoms properly, what is?

For many, it is porn.

Easily accessible and always available, pornography has reshaped how young people perceive sex.

Paracelsus Recovery, an addiction clinic, reported a 150% rise in patients seeking treatment for porn addiction between 2019 and 2023.

The Children’s Commissioner found that by 2023, half of children who had seen pornography had done so by age 13.

One major issue is that porn rarely features condoms, reinforcing the idea that they “ruin the flow” of intimacy.

One of the best ways to counter this issue and stay protected, Plumb advises, is to take control.

She said: “A good tip is not relying on the other person to bring them.”

She acknowledges that it can feel awkward to insist on using condoms, especially for people-pleasers or those eager to impress.

But Plumb adds: “If someone doesn’t respect that then you probably shouldn’t be having sex with them.”