Condom producer Durex's report that Greeks are among the world's most active lovers splashed across newspapers in November 2001. Greeks, the study found, made love 117 times/year, outdone only by Americans. In the age of Aids, it was relatively good news that 64% of love-makers used condoms. However, little was said about Greeks' entrenched resistance to contraceptives like the pill, or the fact that abortion still serves as a major form of birth control.

Condom is king
Condoms are the chief form of birth control in Greece. However psychiatrist, sex therapist and new Pasok party MP Thanos Askitis sees a difference between generations. Askitis, best known as the sombre host of TV talk show Humans and Sex, notes that men between 18-25 use condoms a lot, but "the worst people, when it comes to condom use, are those aged 25-45." This age group lacks condom education and their "egos" get in the way, while younger men are "more scared of AIDS," says Askitis, who runs the Maroussi-based Sexological Institute.

Gynaecologist Nikos Salakos, general secretary of the Family Planning Association of Greece, points out that "10-15 years ago, condoms weren't in use," in Greece. There is a need, however, for better condom quality control and more availability. Gynaecologist and head of the Hellenic Sexological Institute, Zissis Papathanassiou thinks Greece should install condom vending machines in workplaces, universities and public places. The Athens speciality store Condomi, where a huge red condom greets customers and safe sex brochures are on hand, sets a good example.

Nonetheless, unsafe sex remains a fact for at least 20% of the sexually active population. "The methods traditionally used in the Greek countryside in past decades are those still used today," notes Papathanassiou. Many men use withdrawal (coitus interruptus) as their primary birth control.

Papathanassiou points out that in addition to being unsafe, withdrawal is only 60% effective. Salakos adds that withdrawal and rhythm (having sex on certain days of a woman's cycle ), make up 20-25% of Greeks' birth control.

Women hold short end of stick
According to a telling 2001 study by Metron Analysis, sponsored by the Institute of Social and Preventative Medicine, Greek women leave contraceptive use up to their partners. The study revealed that just one of ten women aged 16-45 uses contraceptives herself.

Accidental pregnancy results in over 200,000 abortions/year (vs 100,000 births) the study extrapolated. One in four young women have had an abortion over the past 14 years, notes Askitis. Metron Analysis showed that the rate is higher for women 35-45, where one in three have had at least one personal experience with abortion.

Twenty percent of abortions each year are by teens and a third by married women, said University of Thessaloniki professor and gynaecologist Iannis Bondis at the 17th Northern Greece Medical Conference in April. His claim that Greece's abortion rate is "the highest in Europe" may be exaggerated, as Sweden officially has the highest EU rate, Eastern European levels are sky-high and Greek state statistics are lacking. However, Bondis proposed that 150,000 couples in Greece are having difficulties having children, due to complications related to past abortions.

At the same time, Greek women have shunned oral contraceptives as "unsafe". The figure for pill use hovers around 2.4%. This is dramatically lower than all other EU countries, where it runs up to around 40%. "Bad information has been circulated," notes gynaecologist Papathanassiou, adding: "Greece is one of a few countries in Europe where pill use has decreased in recent years."

Doctor Salakos, by contrast, notes a slight increase in pill use over the past 5-6 years, especially among young women. He remarks, however, that "the increase in pill use has not been analogous to the big increase in condom use." He blames physicians for discouraging women from using the pill, citing cancer risks. They don't seem to be aware that the new generation of the pill has one-third less powerful oestrogen doses, reducing past medical risks.

Psychiatrist Askitis has found that among this minuscule percentage of pill users, some women take the pill secretly. Young women hide it from their parents, because discussing contraceptives remains taboo. The sexologist points out that in married couples, men sometimes become jealous: "They think their partner might be having an affair." As unpopular as the pill is in Greece, other birth control technology, like the sponge and contraceptive ring, are even less common.

Getting the word out
In September 2002, Greek schools finally introduced the country's first sex education programme. For the first time, spurned by Aids fears, the Ministries of Education and Health introduced such a curriculum to junior and high school students across the country. However, the programme is in its very early stages. Hellenic Sexological Institute head Papathanassiou is puzzled why the textbook he was commissioned to prepare has been put, inexplicably, on hold for two years.

Meanwhile sex education remains "casual". Young people continue to receive their information from friends and the media. People of all ages rely more on the local pharmacist than their gynaecologist notes Askitis. He points out that most young women wait till their first sexual contact - instead of the onset of their period - to visit a gynaecologist.

Papathanassiou's organisation has attempted to remedy the situation with a hotline (210-7233102), making sure that people don't give up with their first failed use. The Organisation for the Study of Human Sexuality also offers a toll-free hotline(800-11- 33500). Greece's Family Planning Association talks about contraceptives in schools, municipalities, army and churches. They want to distribute free contraceptives, including the pill, to those who can't afford them, like economic migrants.