Teens Aren't Having a Whole Lot of Sex

Only a minority have had sexual activity, even in the late teens

Sexual activity among younger teens is rare, and those having sex at 10 or younger are usually victims of coercion, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Among those born in the years from 1984 to 1993, only 1% of girls reported having sexual intercourse when they were 11 years old or younger, according to the research published online in Pediatrics. Only 2% of 12-year-olds and 5% of 13-year-olds reported having sexual intercourse.

If children younger than 10 reported having sexual intercourse, it typically was coerced or nonconsensual, according to Lawrence B. Finer, PhD, and Jesse M. Philbin, BA, of the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights organization based in New York City.