Summary: Number of Students Having Sex Dropping & Adolescent Birth Rate at Record Low

There has been a reported decrease in the proportion of students having sexual intercourse.

• The America's Children Report provides the Nation each year with a summary of indicators that characterize the well-being of a child and monitors changes in these indicators. There are seven domains that have been identified as the key indicators of the report. In 2005, the adolescent birth rate declined to 21 per 1,000 for girls ages 15-17 years old, a record low. This is positive since childbirth during adolescence is associated with long-term difficulties for both mother and child. Another notable finding in the report is that the proportion of students who reported ever having had sexual intercourse declined significantly from 1991 (54%) to 2001 (46%) and has remained stable from 2001 to 2005. This is good news since early sexual activity is associated with emotional and physical health risks, including teen pregnancy and contracting sexually transmitted infections.¹

¹America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 2007.