Updating Estimates of Contraceptive Use at First Sexual Intercourse among Teenagers in the United States

Joyce C. Abma, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), CDC
Brittany Dawson, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), CDC

This research will update national estimates of contraceptive use at first intercourse among male and female teenagers in the United States, using 2002 data from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). This analysis will update findings from the mid-1990s, presenting method-specific trends and differentials. During this time new programs and new contraceptive technologies have emerged, that have no doubt impacted levels of usage overall and within demographic subgroups. The 2002 data were collected based on interviews with 12,571 men and women aged 15-44 in the United States. In-person interviews were conducted with 1,150 female teenagers, and 1,121 male teenagers. For selected analyzes, prior cycles of the NSFG and figures from the National Survey of Adolescent Males are used. Results indicate that teens' use of contraceptives at first intercourse has increased since 1995, and the condom remains the most commonly used method at first intercourse.