The Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV found young people believe television is one of the most effective ways to encourage use of the contraceptive.
The finding has led to calls to scrap current "prudish and Victorian" attitudes to the promotion of condom use and has been welcomed by a number of sexual health-related charities.
In its annual report, Why Sexual Health is a Cross-governmental Issue, the advisory group calls for a review into condom advertising. Currently they cannot be advertised before 9pm - 7pm on Channel Four - or shown unwrapped before 10.30pm in programmes.
Simon Blake, chief executive of sexual health charity Brook and member of the independent advisory group, said: "Young people say they are part of a society that is still embarrassed about sex and are less likely to use condoms if they are not used on television."
He added: "We are working on that and are talking to regulators such as Ofcom to try and change guidance."
Rowan Harvey, the parliamentary and campaigns officer at THT, said: "Young people pick up all sorts of sexual messages before the watershed anyway. It makes sense that they should be getting healthy messages at the same time.
"We don't believe advertising condoms encourages sex at a younger age but it gives a balanced view and encourages those who are already having sex to use them."
Anne Weyman, chief executive of sexual health charity fpa, added: "Sex appears everywhere in the media and that's deemed acceptable, so why are we stuck in a prudish, Victorian attitude about advertising condoms?
"This isn't just about advertising - it's about taking public health seriously. If condoms are advertised before the watershed, young people will grow up familiar with seeing them, talking about them and, most importantly, using them."
The report, released today (28 November), also calls for personal, social and health education to be put on a statutory footing. It says the launch of the PSHE Subject Association in February this year was a big step to giving the subject stature.
- www.dh.gov.uk.
