Key Statistics from the National Survey of Family Growth – T Listing
Teenagers
Percentage of never-married teenagers 15-19 years of age who have ever had intercourse, by age and sex
| 2015-2017 | 2017-2019 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Females | Males | Females | Males | |
| Percent (SE) | ||||
| 15-19 years of age | 41.6 (3.07) | 37.5 (2.96) | 41.4 (2.29) | 40.1 (2.38) |
| 15-17 years of age | 23.6 (3.31) | 23.1 (3.05) | 27.6 (2.84) | 23.2 (2.26) |
| 18-19 years of age | 65.3 (4.22) | 58.7 (4.40) | 61.4 (4.41) | 62.7 (3.43) |
Source: Special tabulation by NCHS
Percentage of females and males aged 15-19 years by type of relationship with partner at first intercourse
| 2015-2017 | 2017-2019 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Females | Males | Females | Males | |
| Percent (SE) | ||||
| Cohabiting, engaged or married | 0.8 (0.51) | 0.5 (0.27) | 0.5 (0.20) | 0.5 (0.29) |
| Going steady | 74.6 (3.19) | 48.5 (3.73) | 61.7 (3.37) | 52.1 (3.56) |
| Going out once in a while | 4.1 (1.15) | 16.7 (3.05) | 9.5 (1.87) | 13.6 (2.49) |
| Had just met/just friends | 15.8 (2.85) | 29.9 (3.50) | 23.5 (3.26) | 30.3 (2.81) |
Source: Special tabulation by NCHS
Percent distribution of females and males aged 18 – 24 years who had sexual intercourse before age 20 by how much their first sexual intercourse was wanted:
| 2015-2017 | 2017-2019 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Females | Males | Females | Males | |
| Percent (SE) | ||||
| “I really didn’t want it to happen at the time” | 5.4 (0.95) | 5.1 (1.25) | 10.0 (1.41) | 3.3 (0.81) |
| “I had mixed feelings–part of me wanted it to happen at the time and part of me didn’t” |
51.2 (3.15) | 24.2 (2.30) | 41.9 (2.12) | 30.5 (2.51) |
| “I really wanted it to happen at the time” | 43.4 (3.01) | 70.8 (2.84) | 48.2 (2.34) | 66.2 (2.61) |
Note: This question was asked in ACASI only of adult respondents ages 18-49 and is shown here for respondents ages 18-24 who had first sexual intercourse before age 20.
Source: Special tabulation by NCHS
Page last reviewed: November 8, 2021
Content source: National Center for Health Statistics