Politics
Friday June 9, 2006
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
Study: Sex Among Males 15-19 Down 23%
By Gudrun Schultz
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 9, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Newly released statistics on teenage sexual activity rates in the U.S. show a significant drop of 23 percent in the sexual activity of male teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19.
The research brief, Trends and Recent Estimates: Sexual Activity Among U.S. Teens, is based on statistics compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics, in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth.
The results showed that sexual experience among teenagers of all age groups decreased slightly, but among teenage males 15 years and older the decrease was significant. 46 percent of males between the ages of 15 and 19 had experienced sexual intercourse at least once in 2002, a drop from 60 percent in 1988.
Male teenagers consistently report a marginally lower rate of sexual experience than female teenagers, across all categories.
Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse of Concerned Women for America said in response to the NCHS report, “This official data should silence those critics who have been denying the positive trends in teen abstinence and questioning the effectiveness of abstinence programs. We are so happy to see the widespread dissemination of this data.”
Despite the encouraging results shown in the survey, however, it is important to note that the data only show rates of sexual intercourse and do not include the numbers of youth engaging in oral sex. The statistics showed that 16 percent of teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17, both male and female, had engaged in oral sex but did not experience sexual intercourse.
If that number is included in the rate of sexual experience among male teenagers between 15 and 19 years, the percentage rate jumps from 46 percent to 62 percent. Additionally, that number does not include male teenagers between the ages of 17 and 19 who may have experienced oral sex but not engaged in sexual intercourse.
The study pointed out that many teenagers do not consider oral sex to be “real” sexual activity, and have little or no understanding of the danger of contracting sexually transmitted diseases through oral sex.
“Teens who engage in promiscuous sexual relations are at a greater risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies,” said Dr. Crouse. “We must keep sending the simple message: what works in delaying teen sexual activity and preventing promiscuity is parental involvement, good friends, strong faith, and participation in church activities.”
View complete study here:
http://www.childtrends.org/files/SexualActivityRB.pdf
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- Over 100 MPs Oppose Morgentaler Order of Canada - List Released Today
- National Right to Life calls GOP Platform "Strongest Ever" on Life Issues
- Exclusive: Prominent Rabbi Says Lieberman was Excommunicated and it is Still in Effect
- Comments on August 28 LifeSiteNews
- McCain Himself Accuses Obama of Courting Infanticide
- Two More Bishops Make 8 Who Have Come Out against Pelosi's 'Catholic' Abortion Theology
- VP Hopeful Biden about Pro-Abortion Stance: "My Views are Totally Consistent with Catholic Social Doctrine..."
- Protests and Official Mourning Declared following Mexican Pro-Abortion Ruling
- Pure Utilitarianism: Doctors Justifying Killing Infant Patients for Organ Donation
- Philippines Court Rejects Claims of New York Based Pro-Abortion Group
- MPs Affirm Continued Support for C-484 - Unborn Victims of Crime Bill
- Brazilian Supreme Court Hears Testimony on Eugenic Abortions
- Cells Transformed into Insulin Producers in Research that Makes Embryonic Research "Irrelevant"
- Priests for Life Nine Week Novena Prayer for Election Begins September 1st
Most Read this Week
- Biden's Bishop Will not Permit Him, Even if Elected VP, to Speak at Catholic Schools
- "Catholic" Speaker Pelosi Denies that Catholicism Condemns Abortion
- Cardinals, Bishops and Congressmen Slam Pelosi on Abortion
- Talk a Woman out of Abortion in the UK? Two Years Jail
- Mainstream Media Admits Anti-Family Bias: NBC to 'Gay' Activists: 'Your Victories Are Our Victories'
- Pelosi Spokeswoman About-face: Catholic Church "Clear" on Life Teaching After All - But Catholics Need Not Listen
- American Apparel Defends "Pornographic" Billboards
- New York Cardinal - Pelosi Not Worthy of "Providing Leadership in a Civilized Democracy"
- Conservative Party of Canada Kills Unborn Victims of Crime Act with Gutless Alternative
- Pro-Life Billboard Vandalized with "Joker" Face Paint and Slogan: "Why So Serious?"
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.