A raft of figures giving a snapshot of sexual behaviour in Malta were issued this morning during the launching of the sexual health policy.
The figures, compiled from various sources by the Health Division, show that between 2000 and 2009 there were 936 babies born to mothers aged under 18, amounting to just under 2.5 per cent of total births.
10 per cent of Maltese aged between 15 and 16 reported having unprotected sex because of a personal alcohol problem. Close to a third of sexually active young people aged between 14 and 16 had sexual intercourse at least once under the likely influence of alcohol or other substances.
Five per cent of sexually active Maltese had more than one sexual partner.
The most common methods of contraception were: 20.3 per cent withdrawal; 18.9 condom; 5.5 natural family planning and 4.1 the contraceptive pill.
65.3 per cent of the sexually active population said they had not used any contraception.
According to a recent study only 3 p er cent of people aged between 14 and 16 could correctly identify three sexually transmitted infections from a list of them.
Health Minister Joseph Cassar said the main purpose of the sexual health policy was to establish a framework on which a national strategy would be built.
He said that the main principles and objectives that drive the policy are respect towards human life from its conception, individual rights and responsibilities in the context of broader society, access to adequate education and information, freedom from exploitation and abuse, and freedom of expression.
Ray Busuttil, director-general of health, said one had to understand the local scenario by monitoring various indicators. These included the incidence of sexual violence, substance abuse, sexual education, and the age of first intercourse, among other things.
The second indicator, he said, was monitoring and surveillance policy of legislation to keep it abreast with realities of society.
Another indicator was medical and healths services including the role of primary prevention and raising awareness.
It was important, he said, to have a one stop shop health service which brought together all the facilities required, including the GU clinic, contraception advice, pregnancy testing, advice and counselling on sexual issues and responsibilities and cervical screening. For this to happen there would need to be recruitment of trained professionals.
There was also need for better sexuality and relationship education in schools including including benchmarks to measure education in this area.
He said Malta's sexual health policy needed to open up to global realities. For example as immigrants from North Africa came to Malta, the authorities had also to be prepared to deal with issues such as female genital mutilation.