NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 44 ■ September 2010

u.s. department of health and human services

centers for disease control and prevention

national center for health statistics

Educating Teenagers About Sex in the United States 

Gladys martinez, ph.d.; Joyce abma, ph.d.; and casey copen, ph.d.

Key findings 

Data from the National 

Survey of Family Growth 

•	 Most teenagers received 

formal sex education before 

they were 18 (96% of female 

and 97% of male teenagers). 

•	 Female teenagers were 

more likely than male 

teenagers	to	report	first	

receiving instruction on birth 

control methods in high school 

(47% compared with 38%).

•	 Younger female teenagers 

were more likely than younger 

male teenagers to have talked 

to their parents about sex and 

birth control. 

•	 Nearly two out of three 

female teenagers talked to 

their parents about “how to 

say no to sex” compared with 

about	two	out	of	five	male	

teenagers.

Sex education in schools and other places, as well as received from parents, 

provides adolescents with information to make informed choices about sex 

at a crucial period of their development. Using data from the 2006–2008 

National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), this report examines the 

percentage of male and female teenagers 15–19 years who received sex 

education. Teenagers were asked if they received formal instruction on four 

topics of sex education at school, church, a community center, or some other 

place	before	they	were	18	years	old	and	the	grade	they	were	in	when	this	first	

occurred. In addition, they were asked if they talked to their parents before 

they were 18 about topics concerning sex, birth control, sexually transmitted 

diseases	(STDs),	and	the	Human	Immunodeficiency	Virus	HIV/acquired	

immunodeficiency	syndrome	(AIDS)	prevention.

Keywords: sex education • talk to parents • say no to sex • methods of birth 

control 

What percentage of teenagers received formal sex 

education?

•	 Most teenagers received formal sex education before they were 18 (96% 

of female and 97% of male teenagers) (Figure 1).

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NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 44 ■ September 2010

■  2  ■

•	 Ninety-two percent of male and 93% of female teenagers reported being taught about STDs 

and 89% of male and 88% of female teenagers reported receiving instruction on how to 

prevent HIV/AIDS.

•	 A larger percentage of teenagers reported receiving formal sex education on “how to say

no to sex” (81% of male and 87% female teenagers) than reported receiving formal sex 

education on methods of birth control. 

•	 Male teenagers were less likely than female teenagers to have received instructions on 

methods of birth control (62% of male and 70% female teenagers). 

What grade are teenagers in when they first receive formal sex education?

•	 Among teenagers who reported receiving formal sex education from a school, church,

community center, or some other place, the majority first received instruction on “how to

say no to sex,” STDs, or how to prevent HIV/AIDS while in middle school (grades 6–8)

(Figure 2).

•	 Teenagers who reported first receiving sex education prior to middle school were more

likely to report instruction on “how to say no to sex” than other topics. About one in five

teenagers reported first receiving instruction on “how to say no to sex” while in first through 

fifth grade.

•	 Male teenagers were about as likely as female teenagers to report first receiving formal

sex education on methods of birth control while in middle school (52% male teenagers 

compared with 46% female teenagers) and less likely than female teenagers to report first

receiving instruction on methods of birth control while in high school (38% males compared 

with 47% females). 
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 44 ■ September 2010

■  3  ■

•	 Female teenagers were equally likely to report first receiving instruction on methods of birth

control while in middle school or high school. 

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NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 44 ■ September 2010

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Do teenagers talk about sex-related topics with their parents?

•	 More than two out of every three male teenagers and almost four out of every five female

teenagers talked with a parent about at least one of six sex education topics (“how to say 

no to sex,” methods of birth control, STDs, where to get birth control, how to prevent HIV/

AIDS, and how to use a condom) (Figure 3).

•	 Younger teenage (15–17 years old) females were more likely (80%) than younger male 

teenagers (68%) to have talked to their parents about these topics. On the other hand, there 

was virtually no difference for older teenage (18–19 years old) males and females in whether 

they talked to their parents about these topics. 

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NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 44 ■ September 2010

■  5  ■

Do male and female teenagers differ in whether they talk to their parents 

about sex and birth control?

•	 Female teenagers were more likely than male teenagers to talk to their parents about “how 

to say no to sex,” methods of birth control, and where to get birth control (Figure 4). 

•	 Nearly two-thirds of female teenagers have talked to their parents about “how to say no to 

sex” compared with about two out of five male teenagers.

•	 Male teenagers were more likely than female teenagers to talk to their parents about how to 

use a condom (38% of males compared with 29% of females). 

•	 Female and male teenagers were equally likely to have talked with their parents about STDs

and how to prevent HIV/AIDS.

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NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 44 ■ September 2010

■  6  ■

Summary 

Parental communication about sex education topics with their teenagers is associated with 

delayed sexual initiation and increased birth control method and condom use among sexually 

experienced teenagers (1–4). Although the impact of formal sex education on teenagers’ behavior 

is harder to assess and depends on its content, studies show it can be effective at reducing risk 

behaviors (5,6). These data show that the majority of male and female teenagers 15–19 years 

are receiving formal sex education on “how to say no to sex,” methods of birth control, STDs, 

and how to prevent HIV/AIDS. About one-half of teenagers reported first receiving instruction 

on “how to say no to sex,” STDs, and how to prevent HIV/AIDS while in middle school. Most 

teenagers have talked to their parents about at least one of the six sex education topics. Female 

teenagers are more likely than male teenagers to talk to their parents about “how to say no to 

sex,” methods of birth control, and where to get birth control. These findings for 2006–2008 

suggest little change since 2002 in receipt of formal sex education or information from parents 

among teenagers (7,8). A recent report based on the 2006–2008 NSFG also found little change in 

teenagers’ sexual activity and contraceptive use since the 2002 NSFG (9).

Definitions

Formal sex education: The analysis for this report is limited to teenagers aged 15–19 years, 

but males and females aged 15–24 years old were asked whether they ever had any formal sex 

education. There were two question variants, one for teenagers younger than 18 and one for 

teenagers aged 18 and older. 

Now I’m interested in knowing about formal sex education you may have had. (Before 

you were 18, did you ever have/ have you ever had) any formal instruction at school, 

church, a community center, or some other place about “how to say no to sex?”

Three other sex education topics were asked about with the following wording, prefaced wIth 

the same wording as shown for “how to say no to sex,” “methods of birth control,” “sexually 

transmitted diseases,” and “how to prevent HIV/AIDS.” It is important to note that teenagers 

15–17 who did not receive formal sex education may go on to receive sex education before they 

are 18. 

Grade at which received instruction: For the four sex education topics, teenagers were asked what 

grade they were in when they first received this instruction. The grades at which first received 

instruction have been collapsed into grades 1–5 (elementary school), grades 6–8 (middle school), 

and grades 9–12 (high school) for this report. Teenagers who have not yet reached high school 

(9th grade and higher) will not have reported that they received sex education in these grades. 

Thus the “9th and higher” category only represents those teenagers already in high school.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 44 ■ September 2010

■  7  ■

Talking with parents about sex and birth control: The analysis for this report is limited to 

teenagers aged 15–19 years, but males and females aged 15–24 years old were asked whether 

they talked with a parent or guardian about sex and birth control with the following questions:

The next questions are about how you learned about sex and birth control. (Before you 

were 18 years old) which, if any, of the topics shown on Card 23 (did you ever talk/have 

you ever talked) with a parent or guardian about?

Teenagers could select “none of the above” or any of six sex education topics with the following 

wording: “how to say no to sex,” methods of birth control, where to get birth control, STDs, how 

to prevent HIV/AIDS, and how to use a condom. It is important to note that teenagers 15–17

years who did not talk with their parents about sex and birth control may go on to do so before 

they are 18. 

Data sources and methods

This report contains data from the 2006–2008 National Survey of Family Growth. Face-to-face 

interviews were conducted with 7,356 females, 1,381 of whom were teenagers 15–19 years, and 

6,139 males, 1,386 of whom were teenagers 15–19 years, for a total of 2,767 teenagers 15–19 

years. For more information on the National Survey of Family Growth go to http://www.cdc.gov/

nchs/nsfg.htm.

About the authors

Gladys Martinez, Joyce Abma, and Casey Copen are with the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Vital Statistics, Reproductive

Statistics Branch. 

References

1. National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Parent-child communication about sex and

related topics. Science Says, no 25. 2006.

2. Aspy C, Vesely S, Oman R, Rodine S, et al. Parental communication and youth sexual

behavior. J Adolesc 30:449–66. 2007.

3. Miller K, Levin M, Whitaker D. Patterns of condom use among adolescents: The impact of 

mother-adolescent communication. Am J Public Health 88(10):1542–4. 1988.

4. Robert A, Sonenstein F. Adolescents’ reports of communication with their parents about

sexually transmitted diseases and birth control: 1988, 1995, and 2002. J Adolesc Health vol 46(6):

532–7. 2010.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 44 ■ September 2010

5. Suellentrop K. What works 2010: Curriculum-based programs that 

help prevent teen pregnancy. The national campaign to prevent teen and 

unplanned pregnancy: Washington, DC. 2010.

6. Kirby D. Emerging answers 2007: Research findings on programs to 

reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The national 

campaign to prevent teen and unplanned pregnancy: Washington, DC. 2007.

7. Lindberg L, Santelli J, Singh S. Changes in formal sex education: 

1995–2002. Perspect Sex Reprod Health vol 38:182–9. 2006.

8. Abma JC, Martinez GM, Mosher WD, Dawson BS. Teenagers in the 

United States: Sexual activity, contraceptive use, and childbearing, 2002. 

National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 23(24). 2004.

9. Abma JC, Martinez GM, Copen CE. Teenagers in the United States: 

Sexual activity, contraceptive use, and childbearing, National Survey of 

Family Growth 2006–2008. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital 

Health Stat 23 (30). 2010.

Suggested citation

Martinez G, Abma J, Copen C. Educating 

teenagers about sex in the United States. 

NCHS data brief, no 44. Hyattsville, MD: 

National Center for Health Statistics. 2010.

Copyright information

All material appearing in this report is in 

the public domain and may be reproduced 

or copied without permission; citation as to 

source, however, is appreciated.

National Center for Health 

Statistics

Edward J. Sondik, Ph.D., Director

Jennifer H. Madans, Ph.D., Associate 

 Director for Science

Division of Vital Statistics

Charles J. Rothwell, M.S., Director

U.S. DEPARTMENT oF 

HEALTH & HUMAN SERViCES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

National Center for Health Statistics 

3311 Toledo Road

Hyattsville, MD 20782

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