Most American Teenagers Are Not Sexually Active

More than half of American teenagers have never had sex

(Mirror Daily, United States) – Teenagers are constantly fed sex via social media, so we can understand their parents’ concern. However, a recent report issued by CDC bring news which should keep everybody calm. Most teens are not sexually active, and those who have already started having sex are better at using protection.

Less than half of teenagers are sexually active

Nowadays, people think that all kids who are in high school are already having sex. However, the reality is quite different. Reports show that less than half of these teenagers are sexually active, and the figure has been constant for the past decade.

The report discovered that only 44 percent of boys and 42 percent of girls with ages between 15 and 19 had had sex at least once. Researchers were not surprised, though. Since 2002, less than half of teenagers have remained virgins during high school.

On the other hand, those who had already made the big step were responsible enough, and reported losing their virginity to someone they had been dating, not a person they had just met. In fact, only 2 percent of girls and 7 percent of boys declared to have had sex for the first time with an unknown person.

Teenagers are more responsible and take better care of themselves

Researchers believe kids these days have become more responsible because they are afraid of sexually transmitted diseases. In 1988, 51 percent of teenage girls and 60 percent of teenage boys reported having sex before turning 20, but now the numbers have dropped significantly.

Apart from being aware of the dangers of contracting an STD, teenagers know what an unwanted might lead to, and want to avoid it. Therefore, they are much more able to use protection. Around 80 percent of boys and 89 percent of girls would not want sex to end in pregnancy, and nine out of ten teenagers are likely to use protection or birth control.

These results are encouraging, since they show our teenagers are more informed and more careful with their lives. Also, this might be thanks to their parents, who are now more open to talk about sex with their children and to give them advice on how to take care of themselves.
Image Source: Pixabay

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Tara Hamilton

Tara has graduated from the University of Oregon, with bachelors degree in Spanish Literature in 2010. She lived in Miami for one year and travelled extensively before settling down in El Paso.