Discussion: Sex, Sexuality, Sexual Identity, And Values

In 2011, 47% of high school students had sexual intercourse, and 15% of them reported having more than four partners. In 2009, an estimated 8,300 young people ages 13–24 were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS (CDC, 2013). More than 1 in 4 teens who give birth are ages 15–17 (CDC, 2014). In 2005, 1 in 4 sexually active teens contracted a sexually transmitted disease, 29% of teens felt pressure to have sex, and 1 in 10 high school students reported having been forced to have sex (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005). New studies are being developed to estimate current levels of sexual activity in adolescents. There are some indications that adolescents are waiting longer to have sex; by age 19, seven out of 10 adolescents have had sexual intercourse (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010).