Background The aim of this study is to assess the sexual behaviour of high school youngsters in Albania in order to design better behaviour change interventions targeting this group of young people.

Methods This is a quantitative behavioural survey targeting young pupil attending high schools carried out in all regions in Albania. A representative sample of 2172 pupils of age group 15–19 years old was included in the study. A stratified random sampling technique was used to obtain this sample. A self administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data analysis was made using SPSS version 12.

Results Almost 30% of participants of the study reported having had sexual intercourse, with a median age at first intercourse of 15 years. Only 23% of those experiencing sexual intercourse have ever used a condom. The reason for using it is to prevent an unwanted pregnancy and not to prevent sexually transmitted infections. 90% of the young people identified pharmacy stores as the only place to find condoms, while the family planning centres are not considered at all. Majority of young people did not discuss issues regarding condom use with their sexual partners.

Conclusion Although sexual education is part of the school curricula since few years, further strategies and interventions are needed to address issues regarding delaying first sexual intercourse and increasing condom use among high school young people in Albania.