Brits bashful about condoms

London, GBR -- One in three Britons find it so unnerving to talk to a new sexual partner about condoms they don't use them at all, a new survey shows

The Family Planning Association said its poll of 2,169 adults revealed about the same percentage said they regretted not using a condom with a new partner in the past, the BBC reported Sunday.

The group says for too many Brits it remains taboo to talk about such things. That can only contribute to the trend of increasing rates of sexually transmitted diseases.

Genevieve Clark of the Terrence Higgins Trust said she thinks people "still find it easier to have sex than talk about it."

"This embarrassment about condoms is odd when you consider the alternative -- putting yourself at risk of an infection or pregnancy that could have been prevented," Clark said. "Let's get over our blushes, and make condoms a normal part of a healthy sex life."