Summary: Almost Half of all 15-19 year olds in the U.S. have had sex at least once.

By the time teens reach 19 years old, seven in 10 teens have engaged in sexual intercourse.

• In September of 2006 the Alan Guttmacher Institute published a number of shocking facts on American teens' sexual and reproductive health. Facts included: Ten percent of young women aged 18-24 who had sex before age 20 reported that their first sex was involutary; Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections account for about half of STIs diagnosed among 15-24 year olds each year; 82% of teen pregnancies are unplanned (they account for about one in five of all unintended pregnancies annually); 7% of teen mothers receive late or no prenatal care; and babies born to teens are more likely to be low birth weight than those born to women in their 20s and 30s.¹

¹Facts on American Teens' Sexual and Reproductive Health, Guttmacher Institute, 2006.