NEW YORK, May 21, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) released its Youth Risk Behaviour Surveillance (YRBS) for the United States for 2003 Thursday. The report monitors six categories of health-risk behaviors among youth and young adults, including sexual behaviour.
Although the overall trend in sexual behaviour among high school students has been positive over the last 12 years, a slight 1.1 percent increase in sexual activity was reported from 2001 to 2003. High school students who have ever had sexual intercourse declined from 54 percent in 1991 to 47 percent in 2003. There was also a decrease in the number of high school students who reported having had four or more sex partners – 14 percent in 2003 compared to 19 percent in 1991.
Sexual activity among high school students increased from 45.6 percent in 2001 to 46.7 percent in 2003, a reflection of an increased trend for teen girls to be sexually active. In 2001, 42.9 percent of teenage girls reported having had sexual intercourse; in 2003, the figure climbed over 7 points to 50.1 percent. By 12th grade, 61.6 percent of high school students have had sexual intercourse.
“Too many young people still engage in activities that place them at risk for serious injury, sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection, and chronic disease, such as heart disease and cancer,” CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding said. The report also revealed that the false sense of security engendered by CDC-endorsed sex-education in schools is leading to increased trends of condom use by youth. Despite the hazards of condom use, of the 34.3 percent of teens who reported being currently sexually active, 63 percent of teens in 2003 reported using condoms v. only 46 percent in 1991. To see the full report, go to https://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm Read the related LifeSiteNews.com reports United Nations Report says Condoms Fail to Protect against AIDS 10% of the Time https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/jun/03062303.html New Research Confirms Condoms Not Effective in HIV Prevention https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/jan/04011408.html HPV leading STD: Latest CDC Findings Report that Condoms Not Protective https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/feb/04020305.html