Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said.
Of Kiwi adolescents aged 17 and over, 40.5 per cent have had sex – but only 52 per cent of sexually active adolescents use contraception consistently, the research said.
University of Otago/Supplied
Dr Rebecca Duncan said the current system is not working.
Duncan said while there are a range of contraceptives available in New Zealand, the current provision of contraception to adolescents is reactive rather than proactive.
She said it is also not focused on long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), and therefore “may not be as effective as it could be”.
Uptake of LARCs, such as implants and intrauterine devices, is low for all ages – despite being “22 times as effective” as oral contraceptive pills, the research said.