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.
