Sexuality - What Do Teens Know About Sex?

A recent study was conducted of 661 teenagers aged 13 to 15 in seven major communities¹. The group was administered 75 true or false questions on reproduction and sexual health (respondents were instructed not to guess at answers they did not know). Overall, the young people averaged a score of 40% correct. Some of the questions in which less than half the adolescents answered correctly are shown above (T or F indicates a true or false statement).

The test revealed a lack of knowledge about basic human sexuality. More than half did not know a women can still get pregnant during her period (it's a very small chance, but possible). Only 33% of the teens were able to identify testosterone as a male hormone. Only 27% understood that the egg is not fertilized in a woman's vagina. Only 27% of the teens understood that one can still choose abstinence after sexual activity. This final revelation is rather surprising, considering the public debate about sex education and abstinence in our nation's schools. The adults may be talking, (or shouting), but are their sons and daughters listening?

The responses around sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy are more troubling. There is still misinformation about how and when a woman can get pregnant. More than half did not know a woman can get pregnant during her period. More than half did not know an abortion generally plays no role in woman's ability to conceive in the future.

The teens did show some knowledge of sexual issues. However, even these answers could give one pause. What of those who did not know the answers or responded incorrectly?

Question	Percent Answering Correctly
Pregnancy happens when a sperm fertilizes an egg. (T)	79
Girls cannot get pregnant the first time they have sex (F)	73
If a girl only has sex once in a while, she really doesn't need birth control (F)	73
You cannot get HIV from someone you know really well (F)	70
Sexually transmitted diseases usually go away on their own (F)	49

According to the results, over 20% did not understand how a pregnancy occurs, nearly 30% don't use birth control when necessary, 30% don't understand how HIV is transmitted and over 50% don't understand how to treat a sexually transmitted disease.

What does this survey potentially say about adolescents in general? Do the old myths about pregnancy and STDs persist? Not knowing the facts about sex can be a costly — even deadly — mistake. 27% of the teens in the survey thought a girl doesn't need contraception if she is occasionally sexually active. Let's ask the girl if she needed it in nine months when the baby is born. 30% of the teens thought you can't get HIV from someone you know well? Half of new HIV infections occur among the young, no doubt from people they thought they knew well too. A sexually transmitted disease goes away on its own? You may not know you even have one until after you've passed it on to someone else!

Source: "Knowledge about Reproduction, Contraception, and Sexually Transmitted Infections among Young Adolescents in American Cities." Social Policy, Spring 2000, p. 41.