Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Leigh E. This study uses and data from the nationally representative Youth Risk Behavior Surveys to characterize changes in sexual behaviors and receipt of sexual and reproductive health services among U. Outcomes included HIV testing lifetime , STD testing past 12 months , condom use last sexual intercourse , and primary contraceptive method used to prevent pregnancy last sexual intercourse.
Except for HIV testing, all analyses were limited to currently sexually active students. For each year, pairwise t -tests with Taylor series linearization were used to identify demographic differences among outcomes. Across years, change in prevalence of outcomes was assessed by using absolute and relative measures of association overall and by demographics.
During —, the prevalence of HIV testing decreased by 3. Among sexually active students, prevalence of STD testing decreased by 5. Among sexually active students reporting opposite sex or both sexes sexual contact, intrauterine device or implant use at last sexual intercourse increased by 4.
Disproportionate rates of sexually transmitted diseases STDs , including HIV and unintended pregnancy, have long affected adolescents and young adults across the United States. Despite declines in pregnancy and birth rates and improvements in contraceptive use among adolescents 2 , racial and ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic disparities persist 3.
Studies highlight increases in condomless sex among Black or African American Black and White youths 3 , decreases in contraceptive method use during sexual intercourse 2 , 4 , and suboptimal adherence to STD testing among adolescent females 5. Such data on the sexual and reproductive health SRH behaviors and experiences were collected before the onset of the COVID pandemic and do not reflect the stressors and disruptions experienced by adolescents during the pandemic.
