What We Know About Youth Health Behaviors (and how to talk about them)
Today’s Blog Post was written by our Talk More Intern, Annika Detweiler
GUESS WHAT? The results of the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) just came out! This survey is completed every other year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and highlights key health behaviors for high school students in the U.S.
Now, you may be asking: Well, what is this survey actually? And why should I care about the results? And….what do the results mean?
First, this extremely important survey highlights key youth behavior and experiences in many different areas. Some of them include:
Substance use
Sexual behavior
Experiences of any and all types of violence
Mental health, including suicidal thoughts and behaviors
Social media use
Nutritional behavior and sleep habits
Talk More really cares about learning more and diving into the trends for youth sexual health and behavior. As parents and guardians, being more aware of the behaviors of our youth can help in potentially adapting how to navigate conversations with your kids and teens. (Or, if you’re a professional, how you plan programs and respond to the needs of your community). So, this post is going to focus on some key health behavior trends that occurred over the past 10 years and more specifically, throughout the past 3 years.
Now, let’s dive in!
I’d like to start off with this overall summary from the CDC report:“Adolescent sexual activity declined from 2013 to 2023. Specifically, the percentage of high school students who had ever had sex, had four or more lifetime sexual partners, and who were currently sexually active decreased. However, there were also concerning decreases in condom use, STD testing, and HIV testing. There were no significant changes in any of the sexual behaviors included in this report between 2021 and 2023” (CDC, 2024).
Now, let’s break down what the CDC is talking about:
3 in 10 high school students reported they have ever had sex - this was about 32% of students overall. Over the past 10 years, the percentage of ‘ever having sex’ has decreased from 46% for females and 47% for males in 2013 to 31% for females and 32% for males in 2023 (CDC, 2024).
21% of youth currently reported being sexually active in 2023 (having had sexual intercourse with at least 1 person during the past 3 months). Throughout the past 10 years, the percentage has also trended downward from 35% for females and 33% for males in 2013 to 22% for females and 20% for males in 2023 (CDC, 2024).
In 2023, of those who were sexually active, 52% of students reported using a condom the last time they had sexual intercourse. There was a decrease over the past 10 years for both males and females. Females decreased from 53% to 46% and males from 66% to 58% (CDC, 2024).
Trends for high school students who were tested for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) over a four year period between 2019 and 2023 have decreased. In 2019, rates were 11% for females and 6% for males, and in 2023 percentages were 7% for females and 4% for males. Yet, between 2021 and 2023, rates did not change at all (CDC, 2024).
So, what does this mean for you?
Talk to your kids about the importance of safer sex practices, specifically using condoms and birth control. Although it’s great that kids are having less sex overall, they are not always engaging in safer sex practices.
Talk to your kids about getting tested for STDs. Being sexually active comes with responsibilities - to get consent, to take care of your and your partner's sexual health. One way to do this is to get tested to ensure you’re sexually healthy and your partner stays that way, too.
This could sound like:
“You know you can go to the doctor on your own when you want to if you have questions about your sexual or reproductive health. I’ve got a website you can go to if you want to look up a few places to save on your phone, just in case.”
“I know we’ve talked about birth control and condoms before, but it’s also important to get tested for STDs. The doctor won’t do it automatically, it’s something you have to ask for.”
“Getting tested and using condoms keeps you safe, and it keeps your partner safe. It’s a super respectful thing to do.”
If you’d like to take a peek at the survey yourself, and look more in depth at other areas that were studied, here is the link to a snapshot of some key results: https://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/dstr/index.html
References:
CDC. (2024, July 1). Data Summary & Trends. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System . (YRBSS). https://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/dstr/index.html