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Condom Use
Headline Condom use at most recent sexual intercourse among sexually active high school students increased from 46 percent in 1991 to 63 percent in 2003, and was 62 percent in 2007. (Figure 1) Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS, and unintended pregnancy are major health consequences associated with unprotected sexual activity. Although a similar percentage of teens are sexually active in the United States as in western European countries, the U.S. has much higher teen pregnancy and STI rates than does Western Europe.1,2 This is due to lower consistency and effectiveness of contraceptive use in the U.S.3 Recent studies reveal that the majority of adolescents believe that sex without a condom is not worth the risk.4 However a large majority of these adolescents are also misinformed about the protection that condoms provide against STIs and HIV/AIDS.5 Over 300,000 teenage girls ages 15-17 have pregnancies in the U.S. every year, most of which are unintended,6 and nearly 4 million adolescents are diagnosed with an STI.7 Condoms, if used correctly, can greatly reduce, though not eliminate, the risk of both STIs and unwanted pregnancies. Condom use at most recent sexual intercourse among sexually active high school students increased from 46 percent in 1991 to a high of 63 percent in 2003, where it has since remained relatively constant, and was 62 percent in 2007. (Figure 1) Differences by Gender Reported condom use differs greatly by gender. In 2007, 69 percent of sexually active male high school students reported that they or their partner used a condom at most recent sexual intercourse, compared with 55 percent of females. (See Figure 1) In each racial/ethnic group, males are at least 12 or more percentage points more likely than females to report condom use at last sexual intercourse. (Table 1) Differences by Race and Ethnicity6 Non-Hispanic black students are more likely than non-Hispanic white students to report condom use (67 percent versus 60 and 61 percent, respectively in 2007). (See Figure 2). This pattern holds for both males and females. (Table 1) Differences by Grade Condom use is higher among younger students than it is among older students. In 2007, 69 percent of sexually active ninth grade students, compared with 62 percent of eleventh graders and 54 percent of twelfth graders, used condoms. (See Figure 3) This is especially true of male students whose twelfth grade rates were 16 percentage points lower than ninth grade rates in 2007. (See Figure 3) Part of this drop is due to higher levels of use of other forms of birth control among older students,9 although it is still a cause for concern since condoms are the only form of effective control against STIs for those who are sexually active. Birth Control Pill Use, Teen Birth, Teen Pregnancy, Teen Abortion The 2007 state and city estimates from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey can be found at: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/yrbss/ International Estimates Estimates of the percentage of 15- to 24-year-olds who reported using a condom the last time they had sex with a non-marital, non-cohabiting partner in the past 12 months are available from UNICEF's State of the World's Children 2005. http://www.unicef.org/sowc08/docs/sowc08_table_4.pdf (See Table 4) Through its Healthy People 2010 initiative, the federal government has set a national goal to increase the percentage of adolescents who either abstain from sex or use condoms if sexually active from 85 percent in 1999 to 95 percent in 2010. To reach this goal, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention encourages the promotion of abstinence and condom use, as well as access to sources of quality reproductive health care.
More information is available at: What Works: Programs and Interventions that May Influence this Indicator Click here to view examples of programs and interventions that research has evaluated for this indicator. View programs 1Singh, Darroch, Frost & the Study Team (2001). "Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Adolescent Women's Sexual and Reproductive Behavior: The Case of Five Developed Countries." Family Planning Perspectives, 33(6):251-258 & 289.; Singh, S. & Darroch, J.E. (2000). "Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbearing: Levels and Trends in Developed Countries." Family Planning Perspectives, 32(1):14-23.; Panchaud, Singh, Feivelson & Darroch (2000). "Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Adolescents in Developed Countries." Family Planning Perspectives, 32(1):24-32 & 45.
2Manlove, J., Terry-Humen, E., Romano Papillo, A., Franzetta, K., Williams, S., & Ryan, S. (May 2002). Preventing Teenage Pregnancy, Childbearing, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases: What the Research Shows. Washington, DC: Child Trends. Available at:
3The Alan Guttmacher Institute, "Teenage Sexual and Reproductive Behavior in Developed Countries: Can More Progress Be Made?" at:
4Kaiser Family Foundation. (2003). National Survey of Adolescents and Young Adults: Sexual Health Knowledge, Attitudes and Experiences. Washington DC: Kaiser Family Foundation. Available:
5 Ibid. 6Ventura, S. J., Abma, J. C., Mosher, W. D. 2003. Revised Pregnancy Rates, 1990-97, and New Rates for 1998-99: United States. National Vital Statistics Reports, 52(7). Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 7U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010. 2nd ed. With Understanding and Improving Health and Objectives for Improving Health. 2 vols. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 2000. 8Race/ethnicity estimates from 1999 and later are not directly comparable to earlier years due to federal changes in race definitions. In surveys conducted in 1999 and later, respondents were allowed to select more than one race when selecting their racial category. Estimates presented here only include respondents who selected one category when choosing their race.
9Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2001, Table 32 Students were asked the following question: "The last time you had sexual intercourse, did you or your partner use a condom?" Estimates here are limited to those who are currently sexually active (i.e., had sexual intercourse within the last three months). Note that students may (also) use other methods of contraception instead of, or in addition to, condoms. Data Source
Data for 1991: YRBSS: Youth Online, Comprehensive Results. Retrieved May 24, 2004 from URL: Raw Data Source
Youth Risk Behavior Survey Approximate Date of Next Update Summer 2010
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