Monitoring sexual activity and contraceptive use among U.S. adolescents is important for understanding differences in their risk of pregnancy. In 2013, the U.S. birth rate for teenagers aged 15-19 dropped 57% from its peak in 1991 (1), paralleling a decline in the teen pregnancy rate (1-2). But these rates are still higher than those in other developed countries (3-4). Using data from the 1988 to 2011-2013 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), this report provides trends and recent national estimates of sexual activity, contraceptive use, and childbearing among teenagers aged 15-19.
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