Teen sex declining.(Indicators)(Brief Article)

For a decade now, sexual activity, pregnancies, and births have been declining among American teenagers. Behavior has changed most among teenage males. Behind the changed behavior are changed attitudes.

Among teenagers who have never had sexual intercourse (now a majority of all teens), the main reason given for abstaining is not fear of disease or pregnancy, but rather because having sex at that age is "against my religion or morals"--the answer of 31 percent of male and 38 percent of female abstainers.

 
Teen 15-17 who have ever had sexual intercourse 
 
Male 
1988     50% 
1995     43% 
2002     31% 
 
Female 
1988     37% 
1995     38% 
2002     30% 
  ...