Dating and Sexual Relationships

DID YOU KNOW?

15% of high school students have had sex with 4 or more persons during their life.

Dating during adolescence is common and can be part of healthy development.[1] However, serious and exclusive dating relationships can lead adolescents to have sex earlier than they would have otherwise.[2]  Those who have sex at an early age are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors.[3],[4] Overall, the proportion of adolescents who have ever had sex has declined substantially since the early 1990s.[5] Of adolescents who have had sex, approximately one-third has had just one partner.[6] 16 percent has had two partners, 32 percent has had three to five partners, and 20 percent has had six or more partners.[7] Many adolescents are engaging in sexual behaviors other than vaginal intercourse: nearly one-half have had oral sex, and just over one in 10 have had anal sex.[8]

 

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[1]Child Trends. (2010). Child Trends Databank: Dating. Retrieved December 1, 2010, from http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/alphalist?q=node/151
[2]Kirby, D., & Lepore, G. (2007). Sexual risk and protective factors: Factors affecting teen sexual behavior, pregnancy, childbearing and sexually transmitted disease. Washington, DC: ETR Associates and The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Retrieved February 15, 2011, from http://www.etr.org/recapp/documents/theories/RiskProtectiveFactors200712.pdf
[3]Child Trends. (2010). Child Trends Databank: Dating. Retrieved December 1, 2010, from http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/alphalist?q=node/151
[4]Collins, W. A., Welsh, D. P., & Furman, W. C. (2009). Adolescent romantic relationships. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 631-652.

[5]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 1991-2009 high school Youth Risk Behavior Survey data. Retrieved April 27, 2011, from http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline

 

[6] Martinez, G., Copen, C. E., & Abma, J. C. (2011). Teenagers in the United States: Sexual activity, contraceptive use, and childbearing, 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth: National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 23(31).  Retrieved November 11, 2011 from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_031.pdf
[7] Martinez, G., Copen, C. E., & Abma, J. C. (2011). Teenagers in the United States: Sexual activity, contraceptive use, and childbearing, 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth: National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 23(31).  Retrieved November 11, 2011 from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_031.pdf
[8]Chandra, A., Mosher, W. D., Copen, C., & Sionean, C. (2011). Sexual behavior, sexual attraction, and sexual identity in the United States: Data from the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth: National Center for Health Statistics 36. Retrieved March 3, 2011, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr036.pdf
Last updated: September 19, 2012