When Americans Had Intercourse with Opposite Sex for the First Time

The National Survey of Family Growth, run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asks participants about their birth and relationship history.

AMONG THOSE WHO HAD INTERCOURSE

WHEN PEOPLE LOST VIRGINITY WITH OPPOSITE SEX

BASED ON ESTIMATES FROM THE NATIONAL SURVEY OF FAMILY GROWTH

CUMULATIVE

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

36

38

40

YEARS OLD

SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NSFG 2013-2015

AMONG THOSE WHO HAD INTERCOURSE

WHEN PEOPLE LOST VIRGINITY

WITH OPPOSITE SEX

BASED ON ESTIMATES FROM THE

NATIONAL SURVEY OF

FAMILY GROWTH

CUMULATIVE

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

36

38

40

YEARS OLD

SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NSFG 2013-2015

I expected a high percentage of people to lose their virginity during their teenage years, but I didn’t expect it to rise that quickly. Maybe I was sheltered.

The cumulative percentages are based on survey results from the 2013-2015 National Survey for Family Growth. There have been two more data releases since, but more data is obscured each year to non-researchers. While I suspect some change, I’d bet it’s not that much.

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