Teenagers in the United States: sexual activity, contraceptive use, and childbearing, 2006-2010 national survey of family growth.

TLDR: Teenagers' contraceptive use has changed little since 2002, with a few exceptions: there was an increase among males in the use of condoms alone and in theUse of a condom combined with a partner's hormonal contraceptive; and there was a significant increase in the percentage of female teenagers who used hormonal methods other than a birth-control pill at first sex.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This report presents national estimates of sexual activity contraceptive use and births among males and females aged 15-19 in the United States in 2006-2010 from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) For selected indicators data are also presented from the 1988 1995 and 2002 NSFG and from the 1988 and 1995 National Survey of Adolescent Males conducted by the Urban Institute METHODS: Descriptive tables of numbers and percentages are presented and discussed Data were collected through in-person interviews of the household population of males and females aged 15-44 in the United States between July 2006 and June 2010 Interviews were conducted with 22682 men and women including 4662 teenagers (2284 females and 2378 males) For both the teen subsample and the total sample the response rate was 77% RESULTS: In 2006-2010 about 43% of never-married female teenagers (44 million) and about 42% of never-married male teenagers (45 million) had had sexual intercourse at least once These levels of sexual experience have not changed significantly from 2002 Seventy-eight percent of females and 85% of males used a method of contraception at first sex according to 2006-2010 data with the condom remaining the most popular method Teenagers contraceptive use has changed little since 2002 with a few exceptions: there was an increase among males in the use of condoms alone and in the use of a condom combined with a partners hormonal contraceptive; and there was a significant increase in the percentage of female teenagers who used hormonal methods other than a birth-control pill such as injectables and the contraceptive patch at first sex Six percent of female teenagers used a nonpill hormonal method at first sex