Skip to main content
PMC home page
Sexually Transmitted Infections logoLink to Sexually Transmitted Infections
. 2004 Dec;80(Suppl 2):ii74–ii79. doi: 10.1136/sti.2004.011676

Trends in sexual behaviours and infections among young people in the United States

A Biddlecom
PMCID: PMC1765844  PMID: 15572644

Abstract

Objectives: To describe trends over time in sexual behaviour, condom use, and sexually transmitted infections among female and male adolescents in the United States.

Methods: A review was carried out of published studies using data from six surveys since the 1970s on sexual behaviour and surveillance data on sexually transmitted infections.

Results: The proportion of adolescents who have ever had sexual intercourse increased for females and males through the 1980s and then declined for males through the 1990s. Some survey data showed that the level remained unchanged in the 1990s for adolescent females and other sources showed a decline by 2001. Condom use at first sexual intercourse and current condom use have increased over the past two decades for both male and female adolescents. Incidence rates for gonorrhoea and syphilis among adolescents declined over the 1990s and up through 2002, though new diagnoses of HIV/AIDS among adolescents remained relatively constant throughout the 1990s and into the new century.

Conclusion: Although data sources are difficult to compare over time, trends in sexual behaviour, condom use, and sexually transmitted infections among adolescents from different data sources display generally similar directions towards declines in risk behaviours and outcomes, and increases in protective behaviours.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (71.8 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Darroch J. E., Landry D. J., Singh S. Changing emphases in sexuality education in U.S. public secondary schools, 1988-1999. Fam Plann Perspect. 2000 Sep-Oct;32(5):204-11, 265. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Fleming D. T., McQuillan G. M., Johnson R. E., Nahmias A. J., Aral S. O., Lee F. K., St Louis M. E. Herpes simplex virus type 2 in the United States, 1976 to 1994. N Engl J Med. 1997 Oct 16;337(16):1105–1111. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199710163371601. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Forrest J. D., Singh S. The sexual and reproductive behavior of American women, 1982-1988. Fam Plann Perspect. 1990 Sep-Oct;22(5):206–214. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Fu H., Darroch J. E., Henshaw S. K., Kolb E. Measuring the extent of abortion underreporting in the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. Fam Plann Perspect. 1998 May-Jun;30(3):128-33, 138. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gates G. J., Sonenstein F. L. Heterosexual genital sexual activity among adolescent males: 1988 and 1995. Fam Plann Perspect. 2000 Nov-Dec;32(6):295-7, 304. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Karon J. M., Fleming P. L., Steketee R. W., De Cock K. M. HIV in the United States at the turn of the century: an epidemic in transition. Am J Public Health. 2001 Jul;91(7):1060–1068. doi: 10.2105/ajph.91.7.1060. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ku L., Sonenstein F. L., Lindberg L. D., Bradner C. H., Boggess S., Pleck J. H. Understanding changes in sexual activity among young metropolitan men: 1979-1995. Fam Plann Perspect. 1998 Nov-Dec;30(6):256–262. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ku L., Sonenstein F. L., Pleck J. H. Young men's risk behaviors for HIV infection and sexually transmitted diseases, 1988 through 1991. Am J Public Health. 1993 Nov;83(11):1609–1615. doi: 10.2105/ajph.83.11.1609. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Laumann E. O., Michael R. T., Gagnon J. H. A political history of the national sex survey of adults. Fam Plann Perspect. 1994 Jan-Feb;26(1):34–38. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lauritsen J. L., Swicegood C. G. The consistency of self-reported initiation of sexual activity. Fam Plann Perspect. 1997 Sep-Oct;29(5):215–221. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Martin Joyce A., Hamilton Brady E., Sutton Paul D., Ventura Stephanie J., Menacker Fay, Munson Martha L. Births: final data for 2002. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2003 Dec 17;52(10):1–113. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Panchaud C., Singh S., Feivelson D., Darroch J. E. Sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents in developed countries. Fam Plann Perspect. 2000 Jan-Feb;32(1):24-32, 45. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Remez L. Oral sex among adolescents: is it sex or is it abstinence? Fam Plann Perspect. 2000 Nov-Dec;32(6):298–304. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Santelli J. S., Lindberg L. D., Abma J., McNeely C. S., Resnick M. Adolescent sexual behavior: estimates and trends from four nationally representative surveys. Fam Plann Perspect. 2000 Jul-Aug;32(4):156-65, 194. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Singh S., Darroch J. E. Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing: levels and trends in developed countries. Fam Plann Perspect. 2000 Jan-Feb;32(1):14–23. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Singh S., Darroch J. E. Trends in sexual activity among adolescent American women: 1982-1995. Fam Plann Perspect. 1999 Sep-Oct;31(5):212–219. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Sonenstein F. L., Pleck J. H., Ku L. C. Levels of sexual activity among adolescent males in the United States. Fam Plann Perspect. 1991 Jul-Aug;23(4):162–167. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Turner C. F., Danella R. D., Rogers S. M. Sexual behavior in the United States 1930-1990: trends and methodological problems. Sex Transm Dis. 1995 May-Jun;22(3):173–190. doi: 10.1097/00007435-199505000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Turner C. F., Ku L., Rogers S. M., Lindberg L. D., Pleck J. H., Sonenstein F. L. Adolescent sexual behavior, drug use, and violence: increased reporting with computer survey technology. Science. 1998 May 8;280(5365):867–873. doi: 10.1126/science.280.5365.867. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Upchurch Dawn M., Lillard Lee A., Aneshensel Carol S., Fang Li Nicole. Inconsistencies in reporting the occurence and timing of first intercourse among adolescents. J Sex Res. 2002 Aug;39(3):197–206. doi: 10.1080/00224490209552142. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Weinstock Hillard, Berman Stuart, Cates Willard., Jr Sexually transmitted diseases among American youth: incidence and prevalence estimates, 2000. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2004 Jan-Feb;36(1):6–10. doi: 10.1363/psrh.36.6.04. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Zelnik M., Kantner J. F. Sexual activity, contraceptive use and pregnancy among metropolitan-area teenagers: 1971-1979. Fam Plann Perspect. 1980 Sep-Oct;12(5):230-1, 233-7. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Sexually Transmitted Infections are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES