The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Releases 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released the results of the biannual Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), which measures risky dietary, physical, and sexual behaviors of students in the United States, grades nine through 12.

Students from 34 states completed local, state, and nationally administered health surveys. The results, which researchers compared to age, gender, and ethnic factors, are representative of students nationwide.

Results

Sexual Intercourse History

• 45.6% of students reported having had sexual intercourse.

• 48.5% of males and 42.9% of females reported having had sexual intercourse.
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• 60.5% of twelfth graders, 51.9% of eleventh graders, 40.8% of tenth graders, and 34.4% of ninth graders reported having had sexual intercourse.

• 60.8% of Black students, 48.4% of Hispanic students, and 43.2% of White students reported having had sexual intercourse.

• 33.4% of students reported being currently sexually active, which is defined as having had sexual intercourse in the three months preceding the study.

• 6.6% of students reported initiating intercourse before age 13.

• 3.6% of twelfth graders, 4.6% of eleventh graders, 7.5% of tenth graders, and 9.2% of ninth graders reported initiating intercourse before age 13.

• 16.3% of Black students, 7.6% of Hispanic students, and 4.7% of White students reported having sexual intercourse before age 13.

Forced Sexual Intercourse

• 7.7% of students reported having been forced to have sexual intercourse.

• 5.1% of males, and 10.3% of females reported having been forced to have sexual intercourse.

• 9.6% of Black students, 8.9% of Hispanic students, and 6.9% of White students reported being forced to have sexual intercourse.

Number of Sexual Partners

• 14.2% of students reported having had sexual intercourse with four or more partners.

• 17.2% of males, and 11.4% of females reported having had sexual intercourse with four or more partners.

• 21.6% of twelfth graders, 15.2% of eleventh graders, 12.6% of tenth graders, and 9.6% of ninth graders reported having had sexual intercourse with four or more partners.

• 26.6% of Black students, 14.9% of Hispanic students, and 12% of White students reported having had intercourse with four or more partners.

Condom Use

• Among currently sexually active students, 57.9% reported using condoms during last intercourse.

• Among currently sexually active students, 65.1% of males and 51.3% of females reported using condoms during last intercourse.

• Among currently sexually active students, 49.3% of twelfth graders, 58.9% of eleventh graders, 60.1% of tenth graders, and 67.5% of ninth graders reported using condoms during last intercourse.

• Among currently sexually active students, 67.1% of Black students, 56.8% of Hispanic students, and 53.5% of White students reported using condoms during last intercourse.

Alcohol and Drug Use During Last Intercourse

• Among currently sexually active students, 25.6% reported using drugs or alcohol during last intercourse.

• Among currently sexually active students, 25.4% of twelfth graders, 24.7% of eleventh graders, 27.7% of tenth graders, and 24% of ninth graders reported using drugs or alcohol during last intercourse.

• Among currently sexually active students, 30.9% of males and 20.7% of females reported using drugs or alcohol during last intercourse.

• Among currently sexually active students, 17.8% of Black students, 24.1% of Hispanic students, and 27.8% of White students reported using alcohol or drugs during their last intercourse.

Use of Birth Control Pills

• Among currently sexually active students, 18.2% reported that either they or their partner used birth control pills before last intercourse.

• Among currently sexually active students, 21.1% of females and 14.9% of males reported that either they or their partners used birth control pills before last intercourse.

• Among currently sexually active students, 26.3% of twelfth graders, 18.6% of eleventh graders, 15.8% of tenth graders, and 7.6% of ninth graders reported that either they or their partners used birth control pills before last intercourse.

• Among currently sexually students, 7.9% of Black students, 9.6% of Hispanic students, and 23.4% of White students reported that either they or their partners used birth control pills before last intercourse.

Pregnancy

• 4.7% of students reported having been pregnant or having caused a pregnancy.

• 7.1% of twelfth graders, 4.8% of eleventh graders, 4.4% of tenth graders and 3.2% of ninth graders reported having been pregnant or having caused a pregnancy.

• 11.4% of Black students, 5.7% of Hispanic students, and 3.3% of White students reported having been pregnant or having caused a pregnancy.

HIV/AIDS Education

• 89% of students reported being taught about HIV/AIDS in school.

• 90.2% of twelfth graders, 90.5% of eleventh graders, 89.8% of tenth graders, and 86.7% of ninth graders reported having been taught about HIV/AIDS in school.

• 86.1% of Black students, 80.5% of Hispanic students, and 91.1% of White students reported being taught about HIV/AIDS at school.

According to the authors, the trend analysis of selected risk behaviors indicates decreases in the risk of HIV infection, STDs, and chronic diseases. Yet, the study indicates that too many high school students continue to act in ways that place them at high risk for serious long-term health problems. The study demonstrates a need to further analyze the effects of specific educational, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic factors on the prevalence of health-risk behaviors among students in grades nine through 12.

Jo Anne Grunbaum, Ed. D., et al., Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance -- United States, 2001, Surveillance Summaries, June 28, 2002, MMWR 2002: vol. 51, no. SS-4, pp. 1-64.