Contrary to the claims of groups like Planned Parenthood and Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SEICUS), not to mention popular media, most teens are not having sex. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts down that myth once again with release of a new report. Their study states that 58 percent of never-married teen girls and 57 percent of never-married teen boys between the ages of 15 and 19 reported that they had never had sexual intercourse. (2006-2008)
The number of “sexually experienced” teens peaked in 1988 at 51 percent and declined steadily until 2002 where the number leveled off and it has stayed somewhat constant since. The CDC report states that teens’ most commonly cited reason for abstinence was that it was “against religion or morals.” Research also proves that parents are the most effective educators of sexual values for their children.
The current number of “sexually experienced” teens is still way too high! But don’t be fooled, all teens are not “doing it.”
Read the CDC’s full report: “Teenagers in the United States: Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use, and Child Bearing, National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG)” here.