Where and When Teens First Have Sex

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Where and When Teens First Have Sex
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This Presentation Covers 2 Areas

• Why we should be concerned about where and when
  teens first have sex
• Major findings from recent Campaign publications
  produced through PWWTW

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Teen Pregnancy in the United States
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Some good news
After increasing 23 percent between 1972 and 1990
(including 10 percent between 1987 and 1990) the
teen pregnancy rate for girls aged 15-19
decreased 28 percent between 1990 and 2000 to a
record low.
Henshaw S. (2003). U.S. teenage pregnancy
statistics with comparative statistics for women
aged 20-24. New York The Alan Guttmacher
Institute.
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More Good News

• Teen pregnancy and birth rates are down.
• Decreasing percentage of teens who have ever had
  sex (16).
• Decreasing percentage of teens with four or more
  partners (24).
• Increasing condom use (25).
• Note changes over 1991-2001 from the YRBS high
  school students in grades 9-12.)
• Source http//www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5138.pdf
  

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Some Bad News

• The U.S. still has the highest rate of teen
  pregnancy in the industrialized world.

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34 of Girls Get Pregnant at Least Once Before
the Age of 20
Source National Campaign to Prevent Teen
Pregnancy analysis of Henshaw S.K. U.S..
Teenage Pregnancy Statistics New York Alan
Guttmacher Institute May 1996 and Forrest
J.D. Proportion of U.S. Women Ever Pregnant
Before Age 20 New York Alan Guttmacher
Institute 1986 unpublished.
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This translates into

• About 850000 pregnancies to teens per year in
  the US.
• Almost 100 teen girls get pregnant each hour.

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Where and When Teens First Have Sex MAJOR
FINDINGS
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Information from PWWTW Issue Brief

• Science Says Where and When Teens First Have
  Sex.
• Developed by Child Trends and the National
  Campaign.
• Based on data from the National Longitudinal
  Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) Waves 1-4.

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Why Care About Where and When Teens First Have
Sex

• Almost half (47) of high school-aged teens in
  the U.S. have had sex.
• A 2002 National Campaign survey found that 67 of
  teens aged 12-19 wish they had waited longer
  before having sex.
• Knowing where and when its happening can inform
  efforts to delay first sex.

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Where Teens First Have Sex

• Two-thirds of 16-18 year olds who had sex in 2000
  said they first had sexual intercourse in their
  family home their partners family home or a
  friends house.

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Where Teens First Have Sex (16-18 Year Olds)

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Where Gender Differences

• Teens first sexual experience is most likely to
  occur in a male teens family home.
• 39 of teen females first have sex in their
  partners family home compared to 29 of teen
  males.

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Where Age Differences

• Younger teens are more likely to have first sex
  in their partners family home or their friends
  home.
• For example 52 of sexually experienced
  16-year-olds had first sex in a partner or
  friends family home compared with 38 of 18 year
  olds.

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When Timing of First Sex

• 70 of teens had first sex in the evening or
  night.
• 42 had sex between 10pm and 7 am
• 28 between 6 pm and 10 pm.
• June has the highest proportion of first sex
  among teens (13.7 of teens reported first sex)

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When Race/Ethnicity
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Where and When Teens First Have Sex IMPLICATIONS
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Adults Take Notice

• Lots of unsupervised time increases the
  likelihood of teens having sex.
• Keep teens engaged in adult-supervised activities.

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Adults Take Notice Parents

• Teens first sexual experience may occur at home
  when parents are there.
• Parents should be aware of childrens activities
  and make their presence known.
• Make sure an adult is home when kids are at a
  girlfriend/boyfriend/friends house.

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Adults Take Notice Parents

• Closeness between parents and their children is
  associated with reduced risk of early sex and
  teen pregnancy.
• Shared activities parental care and concern and
  a presence in the home are key.

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Adults Take Notice Program Leaders

• After school evening and weekend programs for
  teens can help prevent teen pregnancy.
• Reviews of evaluated programs suggest they can
  delay sex and reduce sexual risk taking.
• Such programs reduce unsupervised time and help
  teens prepare for the future.

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Bottom Line.

• There is much we can do collectively to minimize
  the opportunities for early sex among teens.

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For more information
Thank You!

• Visit www.teenpregnancy.org

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Putting What Works to Work (PWWTW)
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PWWTW What

• Cooperative Agreement funded by the Centers for
  Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Goal Enhance the ability of state and local
  organizations to incorporate science-based
  approaches into their teen pregnancy prevention
  efforts.

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PWWTW How

• Produce high-quality research-based
  user-friendly materials.
• Use these materials to encourage states
  communities and national organizations to
  incorporate research-based practices into their
  work.
• Go beyond the usual suspects and reach out to
  media executives state legislators funders and
  other opinion leaders.