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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Increase the proportion of adolescents who use birth control the first time they have sex — FP‑07 Data Methodology and Measurement

On this page:  About this objective  |  Methodology  |  History

About this objective

Data

Data Source:  National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), CDC/NCHS

National baseline: 73.8 percent of adolescents aged 15 to 19 years used any method of contraception at first intercourse, as reported in 2022-23

National target: 83.1 percent

Numerator
Number of sexually experienced adolescents aged 15 to 19 years who used any method of contraception at first intercourse.
Denominator
Number of sexually experienced adolescents aged 15 to 19 years.
National target-setting method
Minimal statistical significance
National target-setting method details
Minimal statistical significance, assuming the same standard error for the target as for the baseline.
National target-setting method justification
Trend data were not available for this objective. The standard error was used to calculate a target based on minimal statistical significance, assuming the same standard error for the target as for the baseline. This method was used because it was a statistically significant improvement from the baseline.
National data collection frequency
Periodic

Methodology

Questions used to obtain the national baseline data

(For additional information, please visit the data source page linked above.)

From the 2022-2023 National Survey of Family Growth:

Numerator:

SEX1MTHD1 is a recode that measures contraceptive method used at first sexual intercourse.

  1. Pill
  2. Condom
  3. Partner's vasectomy
  4. Female sterilizing operation/tubal ligation
  5. Withdrawal
  6. Depo-Provera, injectables
  7. Hormonal implant
  8. Rhythm or safe period by calendar
  9. Diaphragm
  10. Female condom, vaginal pouch
  11. Foam
  12. Jelly or cream
  13. cervical cap
  14. Today sponge
  15. IUD
  16. Emergency contraception
  17. Other method
  18. Respondent sterile (aside from sterilizing operation above)
  19. Respondent's partner sterile (aside from vasectomy above)
  20. Lunelle injectable
  21. Contraceptive patch
  22. Contraceptive ring
  23. Never used a method
  24. Did not use a method at 1st intercourse
Denominator:

HADSEX A recode that measures whether females ever had sexual intercourse with a male and whether males ever had sexual intercourse with a female.

  1. Yes
  2. No

AGER: A recode that measures respondent's age at the survey (Recode): 15-19

Methodology notes

Adolescents are considered to have used a method of contraception at first intercourse if they reported they were sexually experienced and they or their partner used a method of contraception at their first sexual intercourse. Sexually experienced refers to females who have ever had sexual intercourse with a male and males who have ever had sexual intercourse with a female.

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Modified, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 but underwent a change in measurement.
Changes between HP2020 and HP2030
This objective differs from the related Healthy People 2020 objectives in that objectives FP-11.1 and FP-11.2 tracked sexually experienced females and males (respectively) aged 15 to 19 years who used a condom and hormonal contraception at first intercourse, while this objective tracks sexually active persons aged 15 to 19 who used any method of contraception at first intercourse.
Revision History
Revised. 

In 2026, following a redesign of the NSFG survey, the baseline for this objective was revised from 83.7% as reported in 2015-2017 to 73.8% as reported in 2022-2023. Using the original target-setting method, the target was also updated from 91.6% to 83.1%.