Fewer American Teens Are Having Sex

Fewer teenagers in the United States are sexually active than 25 years ago.

That’s according to a new study from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control that looked at rates of sexual intercourse and pregnancy rates among teenagers ages 15-19.

In 1988, 51 percent of females in that age group were sexually active, compared to 44 percent in 2011-2013, the period in which the most recent statistics are available. And males? The percentage has dropped from 1988 by 13 percent, from 60 to 47.

Some other findings from the study:

• Teenagers aren’t using protection any more or less, but the type of protection they’re using is changing.
• Usage of the pill is on the decline, but emergency contraception like Plan B has seen a sharp increase, from 8 to 22 percent, over the past 10 years.
• Plan B became available over the counter for women over 17 in 2009 and for women over 15 in 2013.
• By age 15, 18 percent of males and 13 percent of females have had sex but as those numbers increase with age, the gap narrows. By 19, that number was 69 percent for males and 68 percent for females.

See the full CDC study and results here.