1999 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results Released

The results of the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) were released in the current issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This surveillance summary includes information on six categories of priority health risk behaviors: tobacco use, alcohol and drug use, sexual behaviors, dietary behaviors, physical activity, and behaviors that contribute to unintentional and intentional injury.

This report summarizes results from the 1999 national school-based survey from a nationally representative sample of high school students in grades 9-12. Data were collected from February through May 1999.

For the 1999 national survey, 15,349 questionnaires were completed in 144 schools. The school response rate was 77% and the student response rate was 86%, resulting in an overall response rate of 66%. Students were generally evenly distributed across grades and between sexes.

Results

Sexual Behaviors

• 50% of students reported having had sexual intercourse during their lifetime (48% of females and 52% of males).



• 36% of students reported being currently sexually active defined as having had sexual intercourse during the three-months preceding the survey.



• 16% of students reported having had sexual intercourse with four or more partners during their lifetime (13% of females and 19% of males).



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• 8% of students reported having initiated sexual intercourse before 13 years of age (4% of females and 12% of males).

Contraception Use

• 58% of students who reported being currently sexually active reported using a condom during last intercourse (51% of females and 66% of males).



• 16% of students who reported being currently sexually active reported that either they or their partner used birth control pills before last intercourse (20% of females and 12% of males).

Pregnancy

• 6% of students reported that they had ever been pregnant or had ever gotten someone pregnant.

Alcohol/Drug Use and Sexual Intercourse

• Among currently sexually active students, 25% had used alcohol or drugs at last sexual intercourse (19% of females and 31% of males).

Sexual Violence

• 9% of students reported being hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend (9% of females and 8% of males).



• 9% of students reported ever being forced to have sexual intercourse (13% of females and 5% of males).

Results show that certain risk behaviors are more likely found among particular subpopulations of students. For example:

Male students were more likely than female students to report:

• Initiating sexual intercourse before 13 years of age; having had four or more sexual partners during their lifetime; using alcohol or drugs at last sexual intercourse; and their partner not using birth control pills before last sexual intercourse.

Female students were more likely than male students to report:

• Being forced to have sexual intercourse and their partner not using a condom at last sexual intercourse.

The CDC reports that YRBS data are already being used by health and education officials at national, state, and local levels to analyze and improve policies and programs to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among youth. In addition, these data will be used to measure progress toward achieving 16 national health objectives for 2010 and three of the 10 leading health indicators.

For more information:

"Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance-United States, 1999,"

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, June 9, 2000, vol. 49, no. SS-5.