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TEENS
The term “teens” refers to
15–19-year-olds, unless otherwise specified.
Sexual Activity and Marriage Among Teens
When
American teens have sex for the first time, is it typically with a significant
other or a more casual acquaintance?
Answer
Seven in
10 female teens and more than five in 10 male teens report that their first
sexual experience was with a steady partner, while 16% of females and 28% of
males report a first sexual experience with someone whom they had just met or
who was just a friend.[48]
What is known about the age at first sex among female teens in developing regions?
Answer
In Latin
America and the Caribbean, more than four in 10 sexually active female teens
have had sex by their 18th birthday. In Sub-Saharan Africa, six in 10 female
teens have had sex by that age.[49]
Are teen marriage rates similar throughout the developing world?
Answer
No. The
poorer the country or region in the developing world, the greater the chances
are that female teens are married. [13,50] An estimated four in 10 women aged
15–19 living in low-income
countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Central and Southeast Asia, and Latin
America and the Caribbean are married, compared with slightly more than one in
10 in upper-middle– and high-income countries in these regions.