Four out of five boys between the ages of 14 and 19 are using a condom the first time they have sex, according to the results of a new federal survey of teenagers’ sex lives.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics’ (NCHS) National Survey of Family Growth, which features data collected between 2006 and 2010, the number of teen boys using condoms during their first sexual encounter increased 9%, from 71%, in 2002, Sharon Jayson of USA Today reported Wednesday.
The survey also found that 42% of boys and 43% of girls reported that they had had vaginal sexual intercourse, a decrease from 60% and 51% from 1988, she said. Results regarding oral sex habits are scheduled to be released at a later date
Of the 2,284 girls surveyed, 78% said that they used a contraceptive the first time they had sex, and 86% reported using one during their most recent sexual encounter.
Similarly, of the 2,378 boys surveyed, 85% said that they used a contraceptive the first time they had sex, and 93% during the last time that they had intercourse, USA Today also reported.
The surveys did ask the teens who didn’t have sex why they avoided it. The most common reason was that it was against their religion or morals; 41 percent of the females in that group said that was their most important reason, compared with 31 percent of males.
There wasn’t much difference compared to 2002 in the percentage of teens who said they’d be at least somewhat pleased if a sexual encounter resulted in a pregnancy: 13 percent of females and 19 percent of males said they’d be a “little pleased” or “very pleased.”
The findings suggest that the dip in sexual activity that began in the 1990s hasn’t reversed itself, said Jennifer Manlove, a senior research scientist with Child Trends, a non-profit research organization that focuses on children and families. On the other hand, she said, “we’re no longer seeing the big declines in sexual activity that we saw in the 1990s.”
Researchers speculate that the big dip in sexual activity that occurred in that decade may have had something to do with the AIDS epidemic or an increased focus on abstinence in sex education, she said.
She said that while the new numbers about contraceptive use are promising, “there’s still room to improve,” especially when it comes to consistent use of birth control. Considering the role of the Pill and other medical devices, she said, “doctors need to focus on finding the right method that works for females, and keep them on the more effective methods [once] they are sexually active.”
SOURCES: Gladys Martinez, statistician, U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, Md.; Jennifer Manlove, Ph.D., senior research scientist, Child Trends, Washington D.C.; Teenagers in the United States: Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use, and Childbearing, 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth report
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