Trends in HIV- and STD-related risk behaviors among high school students--United States, 1991-2007

Abstract

Persons who engage in unprotected sexual intercourse or use injection drugs are at increased risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Changes in HIV- and STD-related risk behaviors among high school students in the United States during 1991-2005 were reported previously. To update these analyses through 2007, CDC analyzed data from nine biennial national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS). This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated that, during 1991-2007, the percentage of U.S. high school students who ever had sexual intercourse decreased 12%, the percentage who had sexual intercourse with four or more persons during their lifetime decreased 20%, and the percentage who were currently sexually active decreased 7%. Among students who were currently sexually active, the prevalence of condom use increased 33%. However, these changes in risk behaviors were not observed in some subgroups. In addition, no changes were detected in the prevalence of sexual risk behaviors from 2005 to 2007, and many students still engaged in behaviors that place them at risk for HIV infection and STDs. Additional efforts to reduce sexual risk behaviors, particularly among black, Hispanic, and male students, must be implemented to meet the Healthy People 2010 national health objective for adolescent sexual behaviors (objective no. 25-11) and to decrease rates of HIV infection and STDs.