HAYATTSVILLE, Md. - The National Center for Health Statistics, a branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has released its results of a survey of sexual behavior and drug use in the U.S. The report summarizes data collected from surveys given between 1999 and 2002, administered to 6,237 adults ranging from ages 20 to 59.
This is the first survey of its kind to use computer-assisted self-interviews in an effort to offer more privacy and foster more honest answers. "Prior to 1999, many of these same questions were asked in face-to-face private interviews," the report states. "[The computer-aided self-survey] has demonstrated participants' willingness to report socially sensitive behaviors more often than with face-to-face interviews."
Among the survey's findings:
- Approximately 96 percent of adults between ages 20 and 59 have had sex.
- Sixteen percent of adults first had sex before the age of 15, while 15 percent of adults abstained from sex until age 21 or older.
- Males were more likely than females to have sex before the age of 15.
- The proportion of people who have had sex before the age of 15 was highest for persons who currently were co-habitating.
- Twenty-nine percent of men reported having 15 or more female sexual partners in a lifetime, compared with 9 percent of women who reported having 15 or more male sexual partners in a lifetime.
- Men were more likely to have two or more sexual partners in the past year (17 percent) than women (10 percent) were.
- The median number of lifetime female sexual partners for men was seven; the median number of lifetime male sexual partners for women was four.
- Both men and women in the youngest age group (20-29 years) had a higher percentage of two or more partners in the past year than other age groups, although a higher percentage of men in this age group had two or more partners than women did (31 percent versus 19 percent, respectively).
- Twenty-one percent of adults between the ages of 20 and 59 years old have tried cocaine or street drugs at some time in their life.
- Five and one-half percent of adults used cocaine or street drugs within the past year.
- Adults 50-59 years old had the lowest percentage of overall use and past-year use of cocaine or street drugs.
- Past-year use of cocaine or street drugs increased as the age group became younger, with the youngest age group (20-29 years) having the highest prevalence.
- Married adults were less likely to use cocaine or other street drugs in their lifetime or to have used drugs within the past year.
The full survey report is available online. The original survey questions for both Sexual Behavior and Drug Use also are available on the website.
