Teen sex rates are gradually declining, according to a CDC report.
The number of teens engaging in sexual intercourse is at an all-time low, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The data was collected from a national survey, called the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, and consisted of feedback from 29 states. According to the report, the number of high school students who reported having sex fell from 46.8 percent to 41.2 percent. The data also pointed to a harsh decline in teenage sexual activities in the past two years. The shifting behavior was not exclusive to any ethnic group, according to the report.
CDC researchers believe the slow decline is a positive outcome of a well-informed society, however, they could not link the trend to any “specific intervention”. Some experts cite the change in a number of factors, including access to online information about sex and contraception. An increase of mobile usage among teens could be another likely reason for the shift, as more and more young people tend to shut themselves indoors to be online.
According to the study, a decrease of sexual intercourse among teenage students will limit negative outcomes such as “higher numbers of partners, non-use of condoms, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases”.
Researchers on the study found several primary reasons for not wanting to have sex. Teenage girls didn’t want to engage in sexual intercourse because the valued their independence or didn’t feel ready for such an undertaking. One of the main reasons for boys was that their current or former partner was not willing to have sex.
Other reasons like fear of pregnancy or being in love were also at play. More so, teenagers were reported to be extra cautious of sexually transmitted diseases or just being too shy to initiate sex.
The decrease of teen sex was highly prevalent among students in the 9th and 10th grades. As for the 11th and 12th grades, the rates of teen sex remained constant.
Image Source: Pixabay
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