Even though many contemporary teenagers have not experienced sexual intercourse, the results of 13 nationwide surveys reveal a strong upward trend in adolescent coitus from the 1950s through the 1970s (■ Table 12.3). Results of the more recent of these surveys (and other surveys) suggest that this upward trend has leveled off and even decreased somewhat over the last two decades (National Center for Health Statistics, 2011). Data from the National Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBSs) for the years 1995, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, and 2009, presented in ■ Table 12.4, indicate that from 1995 to 2009 the overall percentage of high school students in the United States who had ever had sexual intercourse declined somewhat for all grade levels. The prevalence of condom use during last sexual intercourse among sexually active high school students increased somewhat during this 14-year period.
Sexuality During Childhood and Adolescence
■ TABLE 12.3 Percentage of Adolescents Who Reported Experiencing Coitus by Age 19
|
Study |
Females (%) |
Males (%) |
|
Kinsey et al. (1948, 1953) |
20 |
45 |
|
Sorenson (1973) |
45 |
59 |
|
Zelnick & Kantner (1977) |
55 |
No males in survey |
|
Zelnick & Kantner (1980) |
69 |
77 |
|
Mott & Haurin (1988) |
68 |
78 |
|
Forrest & Singh (1990) |
74 |
No males in survey |
|
Sonenstein et al. (1991) |
No females in survey |
79 |
|
Centers for Disease Control (1996) |
66a |
67a |
|
Centers for Disease Control (2000b) |
66a |
64a |
|
Centers for Disease Control (2002) |
60a |
61a |
|
Centers for Disease Control (2006a) |
62a |
64a |
|
Centers for Disease Control (2008a) |
66a |
63a |
|
Centers for Disease Control (2010i) |
65a |
60a |
|
Percentages reporting having had intercourse by their senior year (usually age 17 or 18). |
■ TABLE 12.4 Percentage of U. S. High School Students Who Reported Sexually Risky Behaviors, 1991-2009
|
Grade |
Survey Year |
Ever Had Sexual |
Four or More Sexual Partners |
Currently Sexually |
Condom Use During Last |
|
Intercourse (%) |
During Lifetime (%) |
Active (%) |
Sexual Intercourse (%) |
||
|
9 |
1995 |
36.9 |
12.9 |
23.6 |
62.9 |
|
1999 |
38.6 |
11.8 |
26.6 |
66.6 |
|
|
2001 |
34.4 |
9.6 |
22.7 |
67.5 |
|
|
2005 |
34.3 |
9.4 |
21.9 |
74.5 |
|
|
2007 |
32.8 |
8.7 |
20.1 |
69.3 |
|
|
2009 |
31.6 |
8.8 |
21.4 |
64.0 |
|
|
10 |
1995 |
48.0 |
15.6 |
33.7 |
59.7 |
|
1999 |
46.8 |
15.6 |
33.0 |
62.6 |
|
|
2001 |
40.8 |
12.6 |
29.7 |
60.1 |
|
|
2005 |
42.8 |
11.5 |
29.2 |
65.3 |
|
|
2007 |
43.8 |
13.4 |
30.6 |
66.1 |
|
|
2009 |
40.9 |
11.7 |
29.1 |
67.8 |
|
|
11 |
1995 |
58.6 |
19.0 |
42.4 |
52.3 |
|
1999 |
52.5 |
17.3 |
37.5 |
59.2 |
|
|
2001 |
51.9 |
15.2 |
38.1 |
58.9 |
|
|
2005 |
51.4 |
16.2 |
39.4 |
61.7 |
|
|
2007 |
55.5 |
17.0 |
41.8 |
62.0 |
|
|
2009 |
53.0 |
15.2 |
40.3 |
61.4 |
|
|
12 |
1995 |
66.4 |
22.9 |
49.7 |
49.5 |
|
1999 |
64.9 |
20.6 |
50.6 |
47.9 |
|
|
2001 |
60.5 |
21.6 |
47.9 |
49.3 |
|
|
2005 |
63.1 |
21.4 |
49.4 |
55.4 |
|
|
2007 |
64.6 |
22.4 |
52.6 |
54.2 |
|
|
2009 |
62.3 |
20.9 |
49.1 |
55.0 |
|
SOURCE: Adapted from Centers for Disease Control (1998, 2000b, 2002, 2006a, 2008a, 2010i). |
chapter 12
Evidence indicates that the leveling off in adolescent coital rates has not been as pronounced among young teenagers. Data from a number of studies indicate that over the last several decades there has been a trend toward experiencing first coitus at an earlier age in both sexes, and this trend is consistent across a diverse range of ethnic groups (Allen & Forcier, 2011; Centers for Disease Control, 2010i). However, different American ethnic groups vary in their experiences with adolescent sex. These differences are described in the following Sexuality and Diversity discussion.