By, Emily Bridges, Director of Public Information Services, and Rachel Harlich, Library and Research Intern

U.S. High School Students, 1991–2007

Journal of Adolescent Health, April 2009

In this article by Dr. John Santelli et al, researchers studied trends in sexual risk behaviors among young people and association (if any) with nonsexual risk behaviors, such as drinking and drug use. Researchers examined data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance.  Researchers found several interesting trends:

• From 1991-2007 there has been an overall increase in sexual activity among sexually active young people, with only a modest increase in the use of contraception and condoms.
• Trends in nonsexual risk behaviors did not track with trends in sexual risk behaviors.
• Trends in sexual risk behavior were shared among young people in all demographics.

Researchers advise caution in assuming that programs that address drinking and drug use will be effective in reducing sexual behavior, since the patterns of change are different for the different issues.  Researchers also caution that the trend toward more sexual activity could lead to worse public health outcomes, since teens who have more sex are more likely to experience unintended pregnancy, HIV, and STIs.

Read the abstract

Learn more about adolescent sexual behavior

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