Study: Indiana high schoolers more likely to have had sex than national average

NEW ALBANY — In spite of what high school peer pressure might suggest, not everyone is doing it.

National rates of high school students who have had sex are declining, but Indiana teenagers still hover above the national average.

According to the Center for Disease Control’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey for 2009, 46 percent of U.S. high schoolers have had sex, which is 8.1 percent lower than the average for 1991. In 2009, 49.2 percent of high school students in Indiana said they’ve had sex.

However, Chrystal Struben, Planned Parenthood of Indiana spokeswoman, said overall Indiana’s numbers are encouraging.

“In general, it’s encouraging to note that young people in that age group are delaying sexual activity,” Struben said. “It just shows people are making healthy decisions about their bodies.”

She said Floyd County’s Planned Parenthood office serves about 2,700 patients. With more teenagers aware of the risks of unprotected sex, she said they’re being more careful about what they’re doing and not doing.

“I think there’s more information out there about the risk of sexual behavior,” Struben said. “More people are coming in asking for certain health screenings.”

Struben said she thinks more comprehensive sex education has helped contribute to more people seeking information, treatment and screenings.

Going beyond abstinence-only education

Though Clark County doesn’t have its own Planned Parenthood office, Struben said many teenagers from there use New Albany’s office. There are differences from Clark and Floyd County, though. The Indiana State Department of Health’s birth rates for 2010 show Floyd County ranked 69th in the state. Clark County came in at 22nd in the state.

The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed Indiana teens are more likely to use both condoms and birth control pills or Depo-Provera shots before they have sex. The national average for contraceptives used by both partners is at 8.9 percent of sexually active high school students. Indiana’s percentage sits at 12.9.

Struben said though abstinence is the most effective way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted infections, young people need to be aware of the options if they choose to become sexually active.

She said the office in New Albany is probably at the maximum number of patients it can service for the amount of funding it receives, but other offices are available in Scottsburg, Salem and Louisville.

Though she couldn’t make a prediction on whether national and local trends would decline, Struben said educating teenagers about sex is what’s most important.

“What we hope is that young people are getting the message that there is risk to unprotected sexual behavior,” Struben said. “We want to make sure people have medically accurate information at a young age.”