q”So many people hype up the awkwardness of condoms,” says sex educator Ruby Rare. “I never think that’s more important than sexual health.”
Ruby, who fronts Channel 4’s Sex Rated, wants more education on the importance of preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Sexual health clinics tell BBC Newsbeat they’re seeing more cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea and a decrease in people using condoms.
But the exact reason why isn’t clear.
Brook, which runs clinics across England, shared figures with Newsbeat which suggest more people using its services admit to not using a condom during sex.
And new NHS data suggests that, while there was actually a slight increase in usage this year, over the past decade there’s been an overall drop.
It’s hard to say for sure why this appears to be the case.
Ruby says other methods of contraception, like the pill, coil and implant are getting more popular.There’s also been rising interest in hormone-free options like fertility tracking apps – however these are not recommended by the NHS and there are concerns that many are designed to make a profit.
