--- title: Teens Are Having Sex Much Less Often Than in the Past description: The number of teens from who have had sex dropped 14% for females and 22% for males over the past 25 years, reveals new CDC data canonical: https://time.com/3966364/teen-sex/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-22T04:01:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:41:24.265Z article:section: Health og:title: Fewer Teens Are Having Sex Than in the Past og:description: The number of teens from who have had sex dropped 14% for females and 22% for males over the past 25 years, reveals new CDC data og:url: https://time.com/3966364/teen-sex/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc95ff195039e0a2a/6987788d06f2c104f33333f0/condom-sex-4.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: TIME.com stock photos Condoms Sex og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Fewer Teens Are Having Sex Than in the Past twitter:description: The number of teens from who have had sex dropped 14% for females and 22% for males over the past 25 years, reveals new CDC data twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc95ff195039e0a2a/6987788d06f2c104f33333f0/condom-sex-4.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Fewer Teens Are Having Sex Than in the Past > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f38ee109-2755-44f1-b0ee-bbdf23bfd8b2&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f38ee109-2755-44f1-b0ee-bbdf23bfd8b2&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=f38ee109-2755-44f1-b0ee-bbdf23bfd8b2&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f38ee109-2755-44f1-b0ee-bbdf23bfd8b2&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: How I Learned About Sex [Watch (HLS stream): How I Learned About Sex](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/5AudUKuq.m3u8) (3:38)  _Published 2014-11-10. Dr. Ruth and others share their stories_ by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Jul 22, 2015 4:01 AM UTC  Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Jul 22, 2015 4:01 AM UTC The number of teenagers who have had sex has significantly dropped over the last quarter century, new federal data shows. The number of teens from ages 15 to 19 who have had sex dropped 14% for females and 22% for males over the past 25 years, revealed new data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics. According to the new report, which uses national survey data from 2011-2013, 44% of female teens reported having sex at least one time and 47% of men reported the same. **MORE:** [The Teen Birth Rate Is Now At an All-Time Low](http://time.com/3924069/teen-birth-rate/) The report shows that in the early teenage years, male teens were more likely than female teens to report having had sex, but by age 17, the rates were similar. Most teenagers said they used contraceptives. From 2011-2013, 79% of females and 84% of males said they used a contraceptive when they had sex for the first time and condoms were used most often. The data also shows that 60% of female teens said they had used withdrawal as a contraceptive method and 54% had used the pill. The CDC also reports that teenage women who did not use a contraceptive during their first sexual intercourse were twice as likely to become teen mothers compared to their peers who did use birth control. Over the last 10 years of available data, the number of teenage girls who have used emergency contraception has also increased from 8% in 2002 to 22% in 2011–2013. **MORE:** [U.S. Teen Trends In Sex, Bullying, Booze and More](http://time.com/3897959/teenagers-bullying-adolescence/) The new findings fall in line with [other recent federal data](http://time.com/3924069/teen-birth-rate/) showing the U.S. teen pregnancy and birth rate is on the decline, possibly due to a drop in sexual activity and an increased use of contraceptives. Why teenagers are reporting less sexual activity is not fully understood, but public health experts have credited the increase in contraceptive use to more education and lower costs for methods thanks to the Affordable Care Act. Still, the CDC notes in the new report that America’s rates remain higher than other developed countries. ### Sex Ed Books Through the Ages  “Those who look at our bodily dwelling can gain a very good idea of what we are... The care of our body, then, adds to our value,” advised Barbara Wood-Allen in 1897's "Self and Series: What a Young Girl Ought to Know."  "When the organs peculiar to woman are displaced or disordered ...pangs shoot through her like winged piercing arrows or darting needlepoints" wrote mail order doctor Lydia Pinkham in 1907.  Published by the Christian Education Service, of Nashville, Tennessee, during the 60s, it was written by one of the founders of SIECUS  "When the natural God-designed and God-honored sex instinct is perverted and base desire supplants love, in the choice of a companion, the home instinct is degraded, love dethroned and inharmony prevails," wrote Thomas Washington Shannon in 1913.  "It is probably best, that the life-like illustrations, some of them photographic, in books of human anatomy be kept away from boys of early adolescent age" counseled Maurice Alpheus Bigelow in 1916.  "... the woman so under the influence of liquor is, for the time being, little more than a "cave woman," or barbarian, with all the lax sex morality of the latter," wrote R.B. Armitage in 1917  This 1928 volume was directed to the "young man whose aim is to be sturdy, strong and successful."  "Dr. Norman Carr," the pamphlet informed readers in 1934, "is probably the most widely read author on this subject in the entire world."  First issued in 1949, this booklet warned: "Don’t forget that any woman who lets you use her, or who consents easily, is not safe."  From 1941, "An intellectual and frank discussion of subjects of Social Hygiene, Physiology, the Science of Sex, Moral Living, Character Building, Motherhood and PreNatal Care."  This 1941 manual includes a diagram entitled "Facts you Should Know for Defloration on Bridal Night."  This 1943 book kept in simple with little line drawings accompanying text like: "Here is the way you looked when you were ready to be born..."  The author of this 1944 guide, Belle Mooney, was touted as "a well-known physician pioneer and lecturer on hygienic and sociological subjects."  "Sooner or later your children are going to learn about sex. They ought to. They must," wrote Fathers Rumble and Carty in this 1950 textbook for Catholics.  Written in 1950 by pioneering sexologist David Cauldwell, who's credited with inventing the term transexual.  In cheerful 1950 parlance it reads: "Lucky boys and girls whose parents, teachers and leaders provide this book for them! It would be a good idea for the old folks to read it too."  "The smart writer... who says flatfootedly or insinuates cleverly that sex experience before marriage is necessary for happiness in marriage is a plain liar and an elaborate traitor to young people," cautioned Daniel Lord in 1951.  "Here is a complete analysis of young people's sexual problems and mores—from kindergarten to college —a comprehensive case-history study of the new rebellion," promised this 1962 paperback.  "Before boys are ready to get married and start a family, they must at least be able to earn a living," claimed this otherwise very hip Lutheran church publication in 1967.  "At the most basic level, a concern with sex education must stem from the recognition that human socio-sexual development is a learning process," said this scholarly 1974 journal.  This 1974 pamphlet was part of a collection of self help books from Ms. Landers including: “Teen-age Sex. And 10 Ways to Cool It!” and “Love or Sex. And How to Tell the Difference.”  From 1983: "Ugly women have boyfriends, mean women have boyfriends, hopelessly insecure women have boyfriends, stupid women have boyfriends, women covered with hideous warts have boyfriends."  This 1993 book claims that "classroom sex education is always wrong and always harmful; that it destroys modesty; awakens the passions; promotes sexual activity and fosters acceptance of sexual sins."  "Sex is many different things, and people have many different feelings and opinions about it," says this 1994 classic, in admirable understatement. Read more: Why Schools Can't Teach Sex Ed ## Transcript [00:00] Where [00:05] I grew up in Germany, I believed that it's [00:10] the stork who brings babies to this world. Mother, is it [00:17] wrong to feel [ MUSIC ] Warm and affectionate [00:21] when you, when you're with a boy you really like? No [00:25] dear, it is not wrong. My mom had no problem talking [00:28] about it. She just said, wait 'til you get married. Maybe, [00:30] like, when I was in first grade. Around fifth [00:34] grade. I was about seventh grade. I do remember my [00:37] mother and grandmother wanted to tell me about the [00:40] facts of life. I was playing hide and go seek with my [00:43] friends. Someone got rid of all their, their whole stash [00:47] of pornos. Like, [ LAUGH ] [ UNKNOWN ]. I pick it up [00:49] and I'm just like, this is the greatest thing I ever seen. I [00:53] didn't know that I would talk about sex for my entire [00:57] professional life. And now I'm 86, and I'm still talking [01:01] about relationships and sex .>> I remember [01:04] accidentally coming across what sex was really like on [01:07] the Playboy channel when we finally got cable TV [01:13] [ LAUGH ] [ MUSIC ] Sexuality education has to start at [01:16] a very early age. Your belly button, it's too [01:20] small. Mary, the baby doesn't come out of your navel. [01:24] Let me tell you how it is. The first time I had a talk talk [01:27] was in seventh grade health class. My father was so [01:30] old- fashioned that. It was just I got sort of Andy back [01:33] before. He would be like go talk to your brother, and [01:36] he'd go, go talk to Mom. Asians don't really get that [01:39] talk. It's just the, the conversations aren't there. You [01:43] know, like the story of the birds and the bees I don't [01:44] know that story. I don't know, I still don't know what [01:46] that is. [ LAUGH ] They told me you could get pregnant [01:50] by eating watermelon seeds and drinking water and [01:52] eating dirt. Which I did [ LAUGH ] throwing up, I was [01:55] throwing up mud when my mom got home. When the [01:58] sperm and the egg get together they make a tiny [02:01] person. So tiny that not even the mother knows it's [02:03] there for the first few weeks. When I was a child I just [02:06] thought, oh it's bad. It's bad unless you get married. [02:08] And now that I'm adult I understand there's nothing [02:10] wrong with that. Good sexuality education. That starts [02:14] when a child is growing up is going to be beneficial [02:19] for that child for the rest of his or her life. Coming [02:25] from a Pentecostal Christian family, I was definitely. [02:28] Not only challenging to be trying to find myself, around [02:32] my sexuality and my gender identity. But I just [02:34] remember always feeling this conflict of being very [02:37] curious about it but then feeling very very dirty and [02:41] just wrong at the same time. mom, you know, taught [02:44] us a lot about self esteem and self love and it comes [02:46] here first inside. Not to run off and find it in someone [02:49] else. I think that when you, when you make something [02:52] so taboo to somebody, you make them even more [02:54] curious about it. I've realized that this really, ultimately, [02:58] is about companionship and love and togetherness. I [03:01] think if they say, okay, it's okay for us to talk about [03:04] sex, I think they'll think, oh, more people are gonna [03:06] have it. It's okay to be a sexual being. I don't think [03:10] we talk enough about trust and sex. We talk a lot [03:14] about love and sex and of course we want to say oh I [03:16] love you, I love you and that's all that matters. But no, [03:18] we also have to trust one another. And if you don't [03:21] trust somebody then don't make yourself that [03:25] vulnerable, which we do. In sex we're very vulnerable [03:28] to one another. And so it's gotta be with someone you [03:31] trust. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3966364/teen-sex/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3966364/teen-sex/"},"headline":"Fewer Teens Are Having Sex Than in the Past","datePublished":"2015-07-22T04:01:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:41:24.265Z","description":"New data shows the number of teenagers who have sex continues to drop","url":"https://time.com/3966364/teen-sex/","keywords":["Sex/Relationships","Teens","Sex","CDC","Contraceptives","Birth Control"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc95ff195039e0a2a/6987788d06f2c104f33333f0/condom-sex-4.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc95ff195039e0a2a/6987788d06f2c104f33333f0/condom-sex-4.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TIME.com stock photos Condoms Sex","caption":"TIME.com stock photos Condoms Sex","creditText":"Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/sexrelationships/","name":"Sex/Relationships"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3966364/teen-sex/","name":"Fewer Teens Are Having Sex Than in the Past"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"How I Learned About Sex","description":"Dr. Ruth and others share their stories","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/5AudUKuq/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-11-10T16:10:43.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/5AudUKuq.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3966364/teen-sex/","duration":"PT3M38S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3966364/teen-sex/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```