Sexual behavior and contraceptive use among Rhode Island adolescents.

teen pregnancy rates in the united states have declined substantially since the early 1990s in all states including Rhode Island, mainly due to positive changes in teens’ sexual behavior and contraceptive use. However, recent data show that the significant progress the nation has made in reducing teen sexual activity, improving contraceptive use, and providing better sex education in school has stagnated. Many teenagers engage in behaviors that put them at risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Nationally, about 750,000 teens become pregnant each year, almost one third of girls become pregnant at least once by age 20, and approximately one in four sexually active young adults ages 15 to 24 contracts an STD annually. Teen pregnancy and STDs are an important public health issue since they pose a serious risk to the health and well-being of teens and their babies, and to society as a whole. This report describes the sexual and contraceptive behaviors that contribute to teen pregnancy and STDs among Rhode Island public high school students.