Key Statistics from the National Survey of Family Growth

 

S Listing

• Same sex sexual activity - See Sexual activity between females or Sexual activity between males
• Sex education
• Sexual activity between females
• Sexual activity between males
  • Oral/anal sex between males
  • Oral sex between males
  • Forced sex - males
• Sexual activity between males and females
  • Vaginal sexual intercourse
  • Oral sex - male and females
  • Anal sex - males and females
• Sexual intercourse - See Sexual activity between males and females
• Sexual orientation and attraction
  • Sexual orientation
  • Sexual attraction
• Smoking during pregnancy - See Cigarette smoking during pregnancy
• STD/HIV risk
• STD treatment/HIV testing
  • HIV testing
  • STD treatment
• Sterilization (female)
  • Percent ever having a female sterilization operation
  • Main reason for operation
• Sterilization (male) - Vasectomy

 

Sex education

• Percent of teens aged 15-19 years of age who report having received formal instruction before the age of 18 on "how to say no to sex," 2002:
  • 85.5% of females
  • 82.6% of males
• About two-thirds of teens received instruction on "how to say no to sex" before entering 9th grade.
• Percent of teens aged 15-19 years of age who report having received formal instruction before the age of 18 on "methods of birth control," 2002:
  • 69.9% of females
  • 66.2% of males

• Just over 40% of teens received instruction on "methods of birth control" before entering 9th grade.

  Source: Series 23, No. 24, Tables 26 and 27 [PDF - 2.2 MB]

 

Sexual activity between females

• Percent of females 15-44 years of age in 2002 who answered "yes"  to the question, "Have you ever had any sexual experience of any kind with another female?": 11.2% (6.9 million).

• Percent of females who had a female sexual partner in the last 12 months, 2002: 4.4% (2.7 million).

  Source: Advance Data No. 362, Table A [PDF - 1.2 MB]

 

Sexual activity between males

 

Oral/anal sex between males

• Percent of males 15-44 years of age who have ever had oral or anal sex with another male, 2002: 6.0 % (3.7 million).

• Percent of males 15-44 years of age who have had oral or anal sex with another male in the last 12 months, 2002: 2.9% (1.8 million).

  Source: Advance Data No. 362, Table A [PDF - 1.2 MB]

 

Oral sex between males

• Percent of males 25-44 years of age in 2002 who have ever had oral sex with another male: 6.3%.

  Source: Advance Data No. 362, Table 8 [PDF - 1.2 MB]

 

Forced sex-males

• Percent of men 18-44 years of age ever forced to have sex by another male: 2.0% (1.1 million).

  Source: Series 23, No. 26, Table 17 [PDF - 3.5 MB]

 

Sexual activity between males and females

 

Vaginal sexual intercourse

• Age at first sexual intercourse

  • Mean age at first intercourse after menarche for women aged 15-44 in 2002: 17.4 years

    Source: Series 23, No. 25, Table 33 [PDF - 4.7 MB]

  • Mean age at first intercourse for men aged 15-44 in 2002: 17.0 years

    Source: Series 23, No. 26, Table 14 [PDF - 3.5 MB]

• Ever had sexual intercourse-teenagers - See Teenagers
• First sexual intercourse before marriage - See Premarital sex
• Contraceptive use at first sexual intercourse - See Contraception
• Nonvoluntary sexual intercourse - See Nonvoluntary sexual intercourse
• Unwanted sexual intercourse - See Unwanted sexual intercourse
• Forced intercourse - See Forced intercourse
• Number of sexual partners in the past 12 months - See Number of sexual partners in the past 12 months
• Number of sexual partners in lifetime  - See Number of sexual partners in lifetime

 

Oral sex-males and females

• Percent of males and females 25-44 years of age in 2002 who had ever had oral sex with an opposite-sex partner:
  • Males:  90.1%;
  • Females: 88.3%

  Source: Advance Data No. 362, Table 7 [PDF - 1.2 MB]

• Opposite sex - teenagers
  • Percent of males 15-19 years of age who have ever had oral sex with a female: 55.2%
  • Percent of females 15-9 years of age who have ever had oral sex with a male: 54.3%

  Source: Advance Data No. 362, Tables 3 and 4 [PDF - 1.2 MB]

 

Anal sex-males and females

• Percent of males and females 25-44 years of age who have ever had anal sex with an opposite sex partner, 2002:
  • Males: 40.0%
  • Females: 34.7%

  Source: Advance Data No. 362, Table 7 [PDF - 1.2 MB]

 

Sexual orientation and attraction

 

Sexual orientation

• "Do you think of yourself as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or something else?" 4.1% of females and 4.1% of males 18-44 years of age in 2002 reported that they were homosexual or bisexual.

  Source: Advance Data No. 362, Tables 12 and 13 [PDF - 1.2 MB]

 

Sexual attraction

• Males: 18-44 years of age, 2002: 96.1% reported being "only"or "mostly"attracted to females.

  Source: Advance Data No. 362, Table 14 [PDF - 1.2 MB]

• Females: 18-44 years of age, 2002: 95.9% reported being "only" or "mostly" attracted to males.

  Source: Advance Data No. 362, Table 15 [PDF - 1.2 MB]

 

STD/HIV risk

• Number of males and females 15-44 years of age in 2002 at risk of HIV because of sexual behavior, drug use, and/or STD treatment in the last 12 months:

  Male	7.95 million
  Female	6.65 million
  TOTAL	14.60 million

• Percent of males and females 15-44 years of age in 2002 who were at risk of HIV because of their sexual behavior, drug use, or STD treatment in the last 12 months:

  Male	13.0%
  Female	10.8%
  TOTAL	11.9%

• Percent  of males and females 15-44 years of age in 2002 reporting each behavior (each behavior increases risk of HIV and other STD's; respondents could report more than one of these behaviors):

  Treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the last 12 months	3.0%
  Five or more opposite-sex partners in the last 12 months	3.5%
  Sex in exchange for money or drugs	2.3%
  Having an HIV-positive sex partner	0.5%
  Drug use: injecting drug or crack cocaine use	1.5%
  Sexual activity between males	2.7% (males only)
  Women who had male partners who have sex with other males	2.3%
  Any HIV risk	11.9%

  Source: Advance Data No. 377, Table 1 or page 4 [PDF - 608 KB]

 

STD treatment/HIV testing

 

HIV testing

• Percent of men and women 15-44 years of age in 2002 who have ever had an HIV test (not counting blood donation): 50.7%.
  • Of those at risk of HIV from drug use, sexual behavior, or STD treatment, percent ever tested for HIV, 2002: 66.4%.
  • Of those not at risk of HIV, percent ever tested for HIV, 2002: 48.8%.

• Percent who had an HIV test in the last 12 months: 15.1%.

  Source: Advance Data No. 363, Table 1 [PDF - 947 KB]

 

STD treatment

• Percent who received treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the last 12 months among men and women 15-44 years of age in 2002: 3.0%

  Source: Advance Data No. 377, Table 1  [PDF - 608 KB]

 

Sterilization (female)

 

Percent ever having a female sterilization operation

• Percent of women 15-44 years of age who have had a sterilizing operation, 2002 NSFG:
  • Tubal sterilization: 16.2%
  • Hysterectomy: 4.1%
  • Other operations: 2.5%

  Source: Series 23, No. 25, Table 70 [PDF - 4.7 MB]

 

Main reason for operation

• Among women 15-44 years of age with tubal sterilizations, 2002:
  • Had all the children she wanted: 65.2%
  • Husband or partner had all the children he wanted: 7.2%
  • Medical reasons: 18.3%
  • Problems with other methods of birth control: 2.4%
  • Other reason: 6.9%
• Among women 15-44 years of age with hysterectomies, 2002:
  • Had all the children she wanted: 9.2%
  • Medical reasons: 89.5%
  • Other reason: 1.3%

  Source: Series 23, No. 25, Table 73 [PDF - 4.7 MB]