For Immediate Release:
September 15, 2005

Contact: Adrienne Verrilli
at: 212-819-9770 x325

New York, NY - On September 15, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) released a report entitled "Sexual Behavior and Selected Health Measures: Men and Women 15-44 Years of Age, United States, 2002." This report presents the findings of the 20002 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) related to sexual behavior. Complementing this report, Child Trend's, a non-profit research center, released an analysis of NSFG data, specifically focusing on the frequency of oral sex among young people ages 15-19.

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) report entitled "Sexual Behavior and Selected Health Measures: Men and Women 15-44 Years of Age, United States, 2002."

This report provides much needed data about the sexual behavior of adult men and women. Some highlights of the NCHS report are as follows:

• Among adults ages 25 to 44,
• 97 percent of men and 98 percent of women have had vaginal intercourse,
• 90 percent of men and 88 percent of women have had oral sex with an opposite-sex partner,
• 40 percent of men and 35 percent of women have had anal sex with an opposite-sex partner.
• 6.5 percent of men ages 25 to 44 have had oral or anal sex with another man.
• 11 percent of women ages 25 to 44 reported having had a sexual experience with another woman.

"This report confirms what we have known for years, American's sexual lives are more diverse than commonly believed.  The NSFG data shows that a wide range of sexual behaviors with both opposite and same sex partners occur across gender, age, race and ethnicity, and geographic location," said Monica Rodriguez , vice president for education and training at the Sexuality Information and Education of the U.S. ( SIECUS ). 

Child Trend's Analysis of the NSFG:

Child Trend's analysis of the NSFG data found that more than 50 percent of teens are engaging in oral sex, and that teens that are older, more affluent, and whose mothers have more education are more likely to report experiencing oral sex. Specifically, young people ages 18 to 19 are much more likely (70 percent) than teens ages 15 to17 (40 percent) to experience oral sex. T een males from families with incomes 300 percent or more above poverty (60 percent) are more likely to experience oral sex than to males from families below the poverty line (50 percent). Similarly, teen females from families 300 percent or more above poverty are more likely to have experienced oral sex (64 percent) than from families below the poverty line (50 percent) and within 100 percent to 199 percent of poverty (46 percent).

In addition, teens whose mothers report low levels of education (less than high school) are less likely to report experiencing oral sex than those whose mothers have higher levels of education. For example, among teen males, 43 percent of those whose mothers did not finish high school have experienced oral sex, compared to 57 percent of those whose mothers completed some college. Females did not show a similar trend.

Moreover, girls are just as likely as boys to have reported receiving oral sex (55 percent vs. 54 percent, respectively.) The study also reinforces the theory that young people may be using oral sex to remain "virgins." Oral sex has increased among unmarried young men ages 15 to 19 who have never had sexual intercourse (21 percent in 2002 vs. 15 percent in 1995), yet did not increase for young men overall. The report specifically noted: "the stable overall trend in oral sex is due in part to an overall decline in the proportion of males ages 15 to 19 who have had sexual intercourse. Trend data are not available for females."

"This study shatters the stereotypes about who we think is having oral sex and reinforces that young people in this country are engaging in a range of sexual behaviors that is putting them at risk for STDs and HIV," Rodriguez said.

"Both reports reinforce how important it is that all Americans, particularly young people, receive comprehensive and medically accurate information about their sexuality and sexual health throughout their lifetime.  This will not only help people navigate and build healthy relationships, but also help to protect them against disease and unplanned pregnancies," said Rodriguez. 

To view the reports, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ and http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/indicators/95OralSex.cfm

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