Trends in teen sexual behavior.

This article examines trends in teen sexual behavior. Data were derived from 5 principal sources, which include: 1) the National Survey of Family Growth; 2) National Survey of Adolescent Males; 3) National Survey of Young Men; 4) Youth Risk Behavior Survey; and 5) National Survey for Men. There really was a sexual revolution, as the foregoing data indicate. An increase in sexual activity was observed among young teens, aged 15 years and below, as well as middle-class and white teenagers. The use of contraceptives also increases probably due to the fear of AIDS and the increasing proportion of teenagers who are having sex. Because more teenagers were using contraceptives, the pregnancy rate per 1000 sexually active teenagers actually declined during the 1980s, even when more teenagers were having sex. Nonetheless, failures of contraceptive usage have led to high levels of abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, and nonmarital births. Society should confront these two concerns. First, for younger teenagers, too early of a sexual experience can be emotionally distressing and inconsistent with healthy development. Second, for disadvantaged teens of all ages, sex always leads to an out-of-wedlock birth and long term welfare dependence. The challenge for school-based programs is to pursue the following goals: 1) lower the level of sexual activity and 2) raise the rate of contraceptive use among sexually active teens.