"Many High School Students Sexually Active, Surveys Show"

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

"Many High School Students Sexually Active, Surveys Show"

United Press International (12/18/92)
Taylor, Charles S.

Abstract: Atlanta--A striking percentage of American high school students are sexually active and many are not routinely using condoms, emphasizing the need for more safe sex education, said federal health officials. The Centers for Disease Control said two national surveys were conducted that revealed that 54 percent of high school students had had sexual intercourse at least once in their lives, and 69 percent of those students are currently sexually active. One survey involved 12,272 students in grades nine through 12 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and another survey conducted by departments of education in 23 states and 10 cities. The CDC said that 19 percent of those who had had sex reported having had sex with four or more partners during their lifetime. Also, 83 percent of students said they or their partners used at least some type of contraception, such as birth control pills, condoms or withdrawal, said the CDC. However, only 46 percent said they or their partner used a condom the last time they had sex. Lloyd J. Kolbe of the CDC's division of adolescent and school health, said health officials are "very concerned" that less than 50 percent of the sexually active respondents are using condoms. "Using contraceptives by themselves (other than condoms) is not going to reduce the risk of HIV infection," he said. The surveys demonstrated that few, if any, of the schools surveyed had achieved national objectives of reducing the proportion of adolescents engaging in sexual intercourse or increasing the number using condoms.

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