Most American teens who have had sex wish they had waited.

Seventeen Is the Average Age at First Sexual Intercourse for males and females. (1)


By the time they are high school seniors, 66% of girls and nearly 63% of boys report they have had intercourse. (2)


However, the majority of American teens who have had sex wish they had waited. Among sexually active girls, two-thirds say they didn't want to lose their virginity when they did or that they had mixed feelings about it. (3)


Why do teens have negative or mixed feelings about losing their virginity?


How can we change the culture of sexuality in the US and be more open to talking about and exploring our sexual bodies?

(1) Data from 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, Vital and Health Statistics, S.23, No.25, 2005
(2) US Centers for Disease Control. 2008-06-06. pp. table 61.
(3) Vital and Health Statistics. National Center for Health Statistics. 2002.