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Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century (2020)

Chapter: Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×

Appendix C

Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior

Question Category YRBS Questionnaire NSFG Questionnaire
Female Male
Ever had sex Have you ever had sexual intercourse? Opposite Sex Partner
Vaginal Sex
  • At any time in your life, have you ever had sexual intercourse with a man, that is, made love, had sex, or gone all the way? NOTE: Do not count oral sex, anal sex, heavy petting, or other forms of sexual activity that do not involve vaginal penetration. Do not count sex with a female partner.
  • Has a male ever put his penis in your vagina (also known as vaginal intercourse)?
Opposite Sex Partner
Vaginal Sex
  • Have you ever had sexual intercourse with a female (sometimes this is called making love, having sex, or going all the way)?
  • Have you ever put your penis in a female’s vagina (also known as vaginal intercourse)?
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Question Category YRBS Questionnaire NSFG Questionnaire
Female Male
Ever had sex (continued) Have you ever had sexual intercourse? (continued) Oral Sex
  • The next few questions are about oral sex. By oral sex, we mean stimulating the genitals with the mouth. Has a male ever performed oral sex on you? Have you ever performed oral sex on a male? That is, have you ever stimulated his penis with your mouth?

Anal Sex

  • Has a male ever put his penis in your rectum or butt (also known as anal sex)?

Same Sex Partner
Oral Sex

  • Have you ever performed oral sex on another female?
  • Has another female ever performed oral sex on you?

Other Sex

  • Have you ever had any sexual experience of any kind with another female?
Oral Sex
  • The next few questions are about oral sex. By oral sex, we mean stimulating the genitals with the mouth. Has a female ever performed oral sex on you, that is, stimulated your penis with her mouth?
  • Have you ever performed oral sex on a female?

Anal Sex

  • Have you ever put your penis in a female’s anus or butt (also known as anal sex)?

Same Sex Partner
Oral Sex

  • Have you ever performed oral sex on another male, that is, stimulated his penis with your mouth?
  • Has another male ever performed oral sex on you, that is, stimulated your penis with his mouth?

Anal Sex

  • Has another male ever put his penis in your anus or butt (receptive anal sex)?
  • Have you ever put your penis in another male’s anus or butt (insertive anal sex)?
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Question Category YRBS Questionnaire NSFG Questionnaire
Female Male
Age at first sex How old were you when you had sexual intercourse for the first time? Opposite Sex Partner
Vaginal Sex
  • That very first time that you had sexual intercourse with a male, how old were you?
  • The first time this occurred, how old were you?
  • Thinking back after your first menstrual period, how old were you when you had sexual intercourse for the first time?
  • How old were you when this first vaginal intercourse happened?

Same Sex Partner
Oral Sex

  • Thinking back to the first time you ever had oral sex or another kind of sexual experience with a female partner, how old were you?
Opposite Sex Partner
Vaginal Sex
  • That very first time that you had sexual intercourse with a female, how old were you?
  • How old were you when this first intercourse happened?
  • The first time this occurred, how old were you?

Same Sex Partner
Any Sex

  • Thinking back to the first time you ever had any sexual experience with a male partner, how old were you?
Sequence of sexual acts Opposite Sex Partner
  • Thinking back to when you had oral sex with a male for the first time, was it before, after, or on the same occasion as your first vaginal intercourse with a male?
Opposite Sex Partner
  • Thinking back to when you had oral sex with a female for the first time, was it before, after, or on the same occasion as your first vaginal intercourse with a female?
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Question Category YRBS Questionnaire NSFG Questionnaire
Female Male
Lifetime sex partners During your life, with how many people have you had sexual intercourse? Opposite Sex Partner
Any Sex
  • This next section is about your male sex partners. Now please think about any male with whom you have had vaginal intercourse, oral sex, or anal sex—any of these.
  • Thinking about your entire life, how many male sex partners have you had? Please count every partner even those you had sex with only once.

Same Sex Partner

  • Thinking about your entire life, how many female sex partners have you had?
Opposite Sex Partner
Any Sex
  • This next section is about your female sex partners. Now please think about any female with whom you have had vaginal intercourse, oral sex, or anal sex—any of these.
  • Thinking about your entire life, how many female sex partners have you had? Please count every partner even those you had sex with only once.

Same Sex Partner

  • Thinking about your entire life, how many male sex partners have you had?
Recent sex partnersa During the past 3 months, with how many people have you had sexual intercourse? Opposite Sex Partner
Any Sex
  • Thinking about the last 12 months, how many male sexual partners have you had in the 12 months since [date]? Please count every partner, even those you had sex with only once in those 12 months.

Vaginal Sex

  • Thinking of your male partners in the last 12 months, with how many of them did you have vaginal intercourse?
Opposite Sex Partner
Any Sex
  • Thinking about the last 12 months, how many female sexual partners have you had in the 12 months since [date]? Please count every partner, even those you had sex with only once in those 12 months.

Vaginal Sex

  • How many different females have you had sexual intercourse with in the past 12 months, that is, since [date]?
  • Thinking of your female partners in the last 12 months, with how many of them did you have vaginal intercourse?
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Question Category YRBS Questionnaire NSFG Questionnaire
Female Male
Recent sex partnersa

Oral Sex

  • Thinking of your male partners in the last 12 months, with how many of them did you have oral sex?

Anal Sex

  • Thinking of your male partners in the last 12 months, with how many of them did you have anal sex?

Same Sex Partner
Any Sex

  • Thinking about the last 12 months, how many female sexual partners have you had in the 12 months since [date]? Please count every partner, even those you had sex with only once in those 12 months.

Oral Sex

  • Thinking of your female partners in the last 12 months, with how many of them did you have oral sex, either giving or receiving?

Anal Sex

  • Thinking of your female partners in the last 12 months, with how many of them did you have anal sex?

Same Sex Partner
Any Sex

  • Thinking about the last 12 months, how many male sexual partners have you had in the 12 months since [date]? Please count every partner, even those you had sex with only once in those 12 months.

Oral Sex

  • Thinking of your male partners in the last 12 months, with how many of them did you have oral sex?

Anal Sex

  • Thinking of your male partners in the last 12 months, with how many of them did you have receptive anal sex where he put his penis in your anus (butt)?
  • Thinking of your male partners in the last 12 months, with how many of them did you have insertive anal sex where you put your penis in his anus (butt)?
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Question Category YRBS Questionnaire NSFG Questionnaire
Female Male
Substance use and sexual behavior Did you drink alcohol or use drugs before you had sexual intercourse the last time?
Condom use at last sex The last time you had sexual intercourse, did you or your partner use a condom? Opposite Sex Partner
Any Sex
  • The very last time you had any type of sex—that is, vaginal intercourse or anal sex or oral sex—with a male partner, was a condom used?

Vaginal Sex

  • Was a condom used the last time you had vaginal intercourse with a male?

Oral Sex

  • Was a condom used the last time you performed oral sex on a male?

Anal Sex

  • Was a condom used the last time you had anal sex with a male?
Opposite Sex Partner
Any Sex
  • The very last time you had any type of sex—that is, vaginal intercourse or anal sex or oral sex—with a female partner, did you use a condom?

Vaginal Sex

  • Did you use a condom the last time you had vaginal intercourse with a female?

Oral Sex

  • Did you use a condom the last time a female performed oral sex on you?

Anal Sex

  • Did you use a condom the last time you had anal sex with a female?

Same Sex Partner
Any Sex

  • The very last time you had any type of sex—that is vaginal intercourse or anal sex or oral sex—with a male or female partner, was a condom used?
  • Was that last sexual partner male or female?
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Question Category YRBS Questionnaire NSFG Questionnaire
Female Male
Condom use at last sex (continued)

Oral Sex

  • Did you use a condom the last time you had oral sex with a male?

Anal Sex

  • Did you use a condom the last time you had receptive anal sex with a male?
  • Did you use a condom the last time you had insertive anal sex with a male?
Pregnancy prevention at last sexb The last time you had sexual intercourse, what one method did you or your partner use to prevent pregnancy? (Select only one response.) Opposite Sex Partner
Vaginal Sex
  • The last time you had intercourse with [partner] in [date], did you or he use any method?
  • Is the reason you did not use a method of birth control because you, yourself, wanted to become pregnant?
  • And your partner, did he want you to become pregnant?
  • Which method or methods did you or he use?
Opposite Sex Partner
Vaginal Sex
  • That last time that you had sexual intercourse with your [wife/partner], did you, yourself use any methods to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease?
  • That last time, what methods did you use?
  • That last time that you had sexual intercourse with your (wife/partner), did she use any methods to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease?
  • That last time, what methods did she use?
Sex of sexual contactsc During your life, with whom have you had sexual contact?
  • Have you ever had any sexual experience of any kind with another female?
  • Have you ever had any other sexual experience of any kind with another male?
Sexual orientationc Which of the following best describes you?
  • Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself?
  • Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself?
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×

a “Recent sex partners” refers to the last 3 months in the YRBS and last 12 months in the NSFG.

b The YRBS asks only about pregnancy prevention; the NSFG asks about both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention.

c Included in the YRBS since 2015.
SOURCE: Generated by the committee from YRBS questionnaires for 1991–2019 (CDC, 2018) and NSFG codebooks for 2015–2017 (CDC, 2019).

REFERENCES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2018). YRBS Questionnaire Content—1991–2019. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Division of Adolescent and School Health.

———. (2019). 2015–2017 NSFG: Public-Use Data Files, Codebooks, and Documentation. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg/nsfg_2015_2017_puf.htm.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Page 165
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Page 166
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Page 167
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Page 168
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Page 169
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Page 170
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Page 171
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Comparison of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Survey Items on Sexual Behavior." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25552.
×
Page 172
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Adolescence is a critical growth period in which youth develop essential skills that prepare them for adulthood. Prevention and intervention programs are designed to meet the needs of adolescents who require additional support and promote healthy behaviors and outcomes. To ensure the success of these efforts, it is essential that they include reliably identifiable techniques, strategies, or practices that have been proven effective.

Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century identifies key program factors that can improve health outcomes related to adolescent behavior and provides evidence-based recommendations toward effective implementation of federal programming initiatives. This study explores normative adolescent development, the current landscape of adolescent risk behavior, core components of effective programs focused on optimal health, and recommendations for research, programs, and policies.

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