OXFORD, Miss. >> Fewer young people are having sex, but the teens and young adults who are sexually active aren’t using condoms as regularly, if at all. And people ages 15-24 made up half of new chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis cases in 2022.

The downward trend in condom usage is due to a few things: medical advancements like long-term birth control options and drugs that prevent sexually transmitted infections; a fading fear of HIV; and widely varying degrees of sex education.

Is this the end of condoms? Not exactly. But it does have some public health experts thinking about how to help younger generations have safer sex, be aware of their options and get tested for STIs regularly.

“Old condom ads were meant to scare you, and all of us were scared for the longest time,” said Dr. Joseph Cherabie, of the St. Louis HIV Prevention Training Center. “Now we’re trying to move away from that and focus more on what works for you.”

— The Associated Press