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**Teen      Sex Down, New Study Shows      Secretary Shalala Announces New Teen Pregnancy Prevention Grant Programs**

**Embargoed for      Release 10 A.M. EDT: Thursday, May 1, 1997**

**Contact: Jeff      Lancashire or Sandra Smith      NCHS Press Office (301) 458-4800NCHS Homepage**

The percentage of      teenagers who have had sexual intercourse has declined for the first time      after increasing steadily for more than two decades, HHS Secretary Donna      E. Shalala announced today. These findings are part of a major new study      of childbearing and family planning covering women age 15-44 years to be      released later this month by HHS.

The 1995 National      Survey of Family Growth, conducted by HHS' National Center for Health      Statistics, found that 50 percent of women 15-19 years of age **had      ever had intercourse**, the first decline ever recorded by the      periodic survey. The survey previously found that 55 percent of 15-19 year      old women had ever had intercourse in 1990, reflecting a steady increase      from 53 percent in 1988 and 47 percent in 1982. Earlier surveys found the      percentage to be 36 percent in 1975 and 29 percent in 1970.

Additional research      sponsored by HHS' National Institute of Child Health and Human Development      indicates a similar trend for teenage males. The percentage of      never-married males age 15-19 years who have ever had sexual intercourse      declined from 60 percent in 1988 to 55 percent in 1995, reversing a trend      measured since 1979. The NICHD research was carried out by the Urban      Institute.

"We welcome the      news that the long term increase in teenage sexual activity may finally      have stopped," said Secretary Shalala. "But this news should      encourage us to do more, not lull us into doing less. We need to change      the cultural messages that have been accepted too long. Continual      increases in teen sexual activity are not inevitable, and we can take      action together to protect the health and well-being of our young      people."

The survey released      today also found increases in the use of contraceptives at the time of      first intercourse. Among women of all ages, some 76 percent of all those      who began having intercourse in the 1990's used contraception at first      intercourse, up from 64 percent in the late 1980's, according to the      National Survey of Family Growth. The increase in **contraception      at first intercourse** was a result of marked increases in condom      use: from 18 percent in the 1970's to 36 percent in the late 1980's and 54      percent in the 1990's. The NICHD-sponsored research also showed an      increase in the use of contraceptives by teenage males or their partners      at the time of first intercourse.

These increases in      condom use may be related to another finding from the survey: 90 percent      of women 18-19 reported that they have received **formal      instruction** on sexually transmitted diseases, safe sex to prevent      HIV, and how to say no to sex.

Secretary Shalala said      the dramatic increase in contraceptive use at first intercourse and the      decrease in sexual activity among teens may be responsible for the      leveling off and recent decline of the teenage birth rate. HHS last      October released data showing an 8-percent drop in the teen birth rate      from 1991 to 1995, and the latest data available through June 1996      indicate that the decline has continued. Pregnancy rates for teens aged      15-19 also declined in 30 of 41 reporting states in 1992, the latest year      for which statistics are available, according to the Centers for Disease      Control and Prevention.

Speaking in Los Angeles      today at a conference on girls and the media, Secretary Shalala announced      two new community grant programs to prevent teen pregnancy and promote      responsible behavior. One program will be aimed at teenage girls and the      other at teenage boys. They are part of the National Strategy to Prevent      Teen Pregnancy, announced in January.

"These grants will      help communities develop innovative and comprehensive approaches to      preventing teen pregnancy, especially by promoting all the activities and      achievements that boys and girls should be saying 'yes' to,"      Secretary Shalala said. "When young people can see lives of      opportunity and hope ahead of them, they are more likely to make the right      choices."

The grant program for      girls is part of the secretary's new Girl Power! campaign, which is aimed      at enhancing self-esteem, promoting good health, and preventing unhealthy      behaviors among girls 9 to 14 years old. Each of the grant programs will      total about $1 million per year and involve public-private partnerships      organized by individual communities.

Tomorrow, in a White      House ceremony, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will honor 12      organizations and individuals who are working in their communities to      prevent and reduce teen pregnancy.

The 1995 National      Survey of Family Growth, to be released in full later this month, will      provide the latest and most comprehensive national data on fertility,      contraception, marriage and cohabitation, infertility, adoption, maternity      leave, medical services, breastfeeding, smoking and other factors which      impact both teenage and adult women, and the health and well-being of      their children. The study updates key trends, includes many new topics,      and has significant new findings on teenagers. More findings of the survey      available today include:

Approximately      16 percent of girls whose first intercourse was before age 16 reported      that first intercourse was not voluntary, compared with just 3 percent of      women whose first intercourse was at age 20 or older. (Overall, 8 percent      of all women said that **first      intercourse was not voluntary**.) In addition, nearly two-thirds of      births to teenagers (65 percent) were unintended when they were conceived,      compared with 31 percent of births to women of all ages. The study also      found that teenage wives face a much higher risk of separation and divorce      than women who wait longer to marry: 47 percent of women who married      before age 18 saw their marriages dissolve within 10 years, compared with      19 percent of women who married at age 23 or older.The study asked for the      age of the woman and her male partner when she had her first voluntary      intercourse. Of women who had their first voluntary intercourse before age      16, 66 percent reported that their partner was under 18, 21 percent said      their partner was 18 or 19, 7 percent said their **partner      was 20-2**2 and for 6 percent their partner was 23 or older.Only 36 percent of      teenage mothers breastfed their infants, compared with 55 percent of all      mothers; and teen mothers who do breastfeed do so for a shorter time than      adult mothers (an average of 18 vs 29 weeks, or about 4 vs 7 months).

The 1995 survey was      based on 10,847 in-person interviews conducted by female interviewers in      the homes of women 15-44 years of age who comprise a nationally      representative sample.

The National Survey of      Family Growth was jointly planned and funded by a number of HHS agencies:      the National Center for Health Statistics, a part of the Centers for      Disease Control and Prevention; the National Institute of Child Health and      Human Development, one of the National Institutes of Health; and the      Office of Population Affairs; with additional support from the      Administration for Children and Families.

Excerpts from      "Fertility, Family Planning, and Women�s Health" can be      downloaded from the NCHS home page on the Internet at **http://www.cdc.gov/nchswww/about/      major/nsfg/nsfg.htm**, along with the news release and ordering      information for the upcoming full report.
 

 
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This page last reviewed September 12, 2000

**U.S.    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES****Centers    for Disease Control and Prevention**    National Center for Health Statistics    Division of Data Services     Hyattsville, MD    20782-2003    (301) 458-4636
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