Current sexual activity

The percentage of teenagers who report they are currently sexually active has also been dropping since 1991. In 1997, only 37% of females and 33% of males who reported ever having had sexual intercourse said that they had sex in the past 3 months. By 2005, the overall percentage of teenagers reporting that they were currently sexually active was down to 33.9%. A lower number of sexually active teens is "quite positive in terms of their health and their well-being," said Edward Sondik, director of the National Center for Health Statistics.

Sexually Active Girls Aged 15-19, And Percent Of How Recently They Have Been Sexually Active[23] Age at 1st Intercourse Last 12 months Last 3 months Once Ever
14 & under 89.0% 77.3% 5.1%
15-16 89.3% 76.1% 10.6%
17-19 96.3% 73.2% 11.6%
Sexually Active Boys Aged 15-19, And Percent Of How Recently They Have Been Sexually Active[23] Age at 1st Intercourse Last 12 months Last 3 months Once Ever
14 & under 80.9% 66.8% 6.5%
15-16 84.9% 68.9% 10.4%
17-19 94.8% 69.4% 10.0%