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The proportion of US female teens
who have not had sex has grown since 1995, according to a new CDC report. In
addition, more young women who are sexually active are using highly effective
contraceptive methods.
During 2006-10, 57 percent of
females ages 15-19 had never had vaginal intercourse, up from 49 percent in
1995, data from the National Survey of Family Growth show. In addition, “The
proportion of female teens who never have had sex is now comparable across
racial/ethnic groups,” noted the report.
Nearly 60 percent of sexually active
young women reported using a highly effective contraceptive method in 2006-10,
an increase from 47 percent in 1995. However, use differed by race/ethnicity,
with higher rates reported by whites (66 percent) than Hispanics (54 percent)
and blacks (46 percent).
Condoms, considered moderately
effective contraception when used alone, were second in popularity, but their
use has steadily trended down since 1995. In 2006-10, “only about half (49
percent) of female teens who used a condom for contraception reported
consistent use in the past month,” CDC said.
Though the US teen birth rate has
fallen since 1990, it remains higher than in other developed countries. To
reduce teen pregnancy further, communities can provide sex education and
connect teens to reproductive health services, CDC said.
The study, “Sexual Experience and
Contraceptive Use Among Female Teens - United States, 1995, 2002, and
2006-2010,” was published in CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
(2012;61(17):297-301).
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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