Use of birth control pills, condoms, and withdrawal among US high school students

Purpose: To examine the use of contraception at last sexual intercourse amo ng currently sexually active adolescents. Methods: We analyzed data from national school-based Youth Risk Behavior Su rveys (YRBS) conducted in 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1997. The YRBS is a self-ad ministered, anonymous survey which uses a national probability sample of U. S. students in public and private schools from grades 9 through 12. Results: From 1991 to 1997, condom use significantly increased (from 46% to 57%), birth control pill use decreased (from 21% to 17%), and use of withd rawal significantly decreased (from 18% to 13%). In 1997, although more stu dents were using condoms, 13% reported using withdrawal and 25% reported us ing no method to prevent pregnancy at last sexual intercourse. In 1997, con dom use among females was significantly lower in the 9th grade than in the 12th grade (p < .001), whereas birth control pill use was higher (p < .001) and use of withdrawal remained stable. Among males, condom use and withdra wal use remained stable from 9th to 12th grade, whereas birth control pill use by their partner increased (p < .001). Conclusions: Inadequate contraceptive use among sexually active adolescents continues to be a major public health problem in the United States. For yo ung people who will not remain sexually abstinent, families, health care pr oviders, schools, and other influential societal institutions should promot e the correct and continued use of condoms as essential protection against sexually transmitted diseases and human immunodeficiency virus infection.