Public Opinion Polls

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen pregnancy conducts regular polls to gather information about abstinence and contraception, parent-child communication, peer involvement, religion, and sexual behavior. Their 2009 poll found that:

• Younger teens (34% of those aged 12-14) and older teens (28% of those aged 15-17) say parents most influence their decisions about sex. For their part, adults believe that friends (43%) most influence teens’ decisions about sex (compared to 18% of teens who say friends are most influential). Check out the Alliance’s Tips for Talking with Teens and other resources for parents of teenagers.
• Fully 73% of adults and 37% of teens say they wish young people were getting more information about abstinence and contraception, rather than either/or. Read research on sexuality education and what works for teens.
• Only 11% of adults and 7% of teens think teens should be getting more information about abstinence alone. Learn more about the Alliance’s position on sex education or how to advocate for sex education in your school.

To access polling results and reports, see the polling data on The National Campaign’s website, or read the full report, With One Voice.