- Among women aged 15–19 who were at risk of unintended pregnancy in 2006–2010, 82% were using a contraceptive method, and 59% were using a highly effective method.1
- Among sexually experienced 15–19-year-olds during that period, 78% of women and 85% of men reported having used a contraceptive the first time they had sex; 86% and 93%, respectively, said they did so the last time they had sex.1
- In 2006–2010, the odds of giving birth before age 20 were twice as high for adolescent women who had not used a contraceptive method at first sex as for those who had.1
- The male condom was the most commonly used method at first sex and at most recent sex among both adolescent men and women in 2006–2010.1
- Among the 2.5 million sexually active women aged 15–19 who reported current (i.e., within the last three months) use of contraceptives in 2011–2013, 55% relied on the condom; 35% on the pill; 20% on withdrawal; 8% on the injectable, patch or ring; and 3% on the IUD.2,3
- In 2006–2010, 20% of sexually active females aged 15–19 and 34% of sexually active males the same age reported having used both the condom and a hormonal method the last time they had sex.1
Fact Sheet
Contraceptive Use Among Adolescents in the United States
From the series Contraceptive Use in the United States
1. Martinez G, Copen CE and Abma JC, Teenagers in the United States: sexual activity, contraceptive use, and childbearing, 2006–2010, Vital and Health Statistics, 2011, Series 23, No. 31, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_031.pdf.
2. Special tabulations of data from Daniels K et al., Current contraceptive use and variation by selected characteristics among women aged 15–44: United States, 2011–2013, National Health Statistics Reports, 2015, No. 86, 2015.
3. Lindberg L, Santelli J and Desai S, Understanding the decline in adolescent fertility in the United States, 2007–2012, Journal of Adolescent Health, 2016, 59(5):577–583, doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.06.024.
References
1. Martinez G, Copen CE and Abma JC, Teenagers in the United States: sexual activity, contraceptive use, and childbearing, 2006–2010, Vital and Health Statistics, 2011, Series 23, No. 31, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_031.pdf.
2. Special tabulations of data from Daniels K et al., Current contraceptive use and variation by selected characteristics among women aged 15–44: United States, 2011–2013, National Health Statistics Reports, 2015, No. 86, 2015.
3. Lindberg L, Santelli J and Desai S, Understanding the decline in adolescent fertility in the United States, 2007–2012, Journal of Adolescent Health, 2016, 59(5):577–583, doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.06.024.
From the series Contraceptive Use in the United States
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