Report finds fewer teens having intercourse, more using condoms

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Fewer high school students are having sex these days, and more are using condoms. The teen birth rate has hit a record low.

More young people are finishing high school, too, and more little kids are being read to, according to the latest government snapshot on the well-being of the nation's children. It's good news on a number of key wellness indicators, experts said of the report being released Friday.

"The implications for the population are quite positive in terms of their health and their well-being," said Edward Sondik, director of the National Center for Health Statistics. "The lower figure on teens having sex means the risk of sexually transmitted diseases is lower."

In 2005, 47 percent of high school students -- 6.7 million -- reported having had sexual intercourse, down from 54 percent in 1991. The rate of those who reported having had sex has remained the same since 2003.

Of those who had sex during a three-month period in 2005, 63 percent -- about 3 million -- used condoms. That's up from 46 percent in 1991.

The teen birth rate, the report said, was 21 per 1,000 young women ages 15-17 in 2005 -- an all-time low. It was down from 39 births per 1,000 teens in 1991.

"This is very good news," said Sondik. "Young teen mothers and their babies are at a greater risk of both immediate and long-term difficulties."

The birth rate in the 15-19 age group was 40 per 1,000 in 2005, also down sharply from the previous decade.

Education campaigns that started years ago are having a significant effect, said James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth, a Washington-based nonprofit group that focuses on prevention of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

"I think the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the efforts in the '80s and '90s had a lot to do with that," Wagoner said of the improved numbers on teen sex, condoms and adolescent births.

"We need to encourage young teens to delay sexual initiation and we need to make sure they get all the information they need about condoms and birth control," he said.

The report was compiled from statistics and studies at 22 federal agencies, and covered 38 key indicators, including infant mortality, academic achievement rates and the number of children living in poverty.

Other highlights:

• The percentage of children covered by health insurance decreased slightly. In 2005, 89 percent of children had health insurance coverage at some point during the year, down from 90 percent the previous year.

• The percentage of low birthweight infants (born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces) increased. It was 8.2 percent in 2005, up from 8.1 percent in 2004.

• More youngsters are getting reading time. Sixty percent of children ages 3-5 (and not in kindergarten) were read to daily by a family member in 2005, up from 53 percent in 1993.

• The percentage of children who had at least one parent working year round and full-time increased to 78.3 percent in 2005, up from 77.6 percent the previous year.

• More young people are completing high school. In 2005, 88 percent of young adults had finished high school -- up from 84 percent in 1980. The report was released by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics -- a consortium of federal agencies that includes the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Census Bureau and the Administration for Children and Families.

Surviving summer camp -- for parents and kids

For parents, sending kids off to summer camp is an emotional balancing act: There's the prospect of fresh air and friendships, competition and camaraderie, but there's also the worry of insect bites, injuries and allergies.

The health and well-being of their kids is a concern of multitudes of parents, as more than six million American children head off to summer camp this year, their care thrust into the hands of teenaged counselors and skilled administrators. While there are no national safety standards for camps, and no data on how many campers are actually hurt or get sick, some reliable data suggests kids are in pretty safe hands, with just one adverse health event for every 1,000 camper days.

But parents remembering their own camp days should be aware the camp experience may be changing.

One interesting health trend is the increasing number of potential bunkmates with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. "Five years ago, many camps wouldn't even accept kids with special behavioral needs or medications, but now do if the behaviors aren't too extreme," said Jeffrey Solomon, executive director of the National Camp Association. As a result, many camps hire and train staff to cater to the needs of kids who might need a little extra attention and supervision taking medications.

ADHD often presents a summertime dilemma for some parents who wonder if they should pack for camp the medication used primarily to help a child stay focused in school.

"You'd like the kids to have a break from ADHD medication," said Dr. Benjamin Siegel, professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Siegel, himself a camp doctor for 20 years, said exceptions would include kids who have more significant behavioral problems, or have anxiety or depression as well as ADHD.

He stressed any psychiatric problems should always be brought to the attention of camp staff.

Adults may recall routine camp checks for impetigo, a skin infection caused by strep or bacteria, and most camps still do that. But the emergence of a dangerous, drug-resistant staph germ has summer camps paying attention to another threat: superbugs.

While there's no evidence of increases in outbreaks of drug resistant infections at camps, emergency room doctors warn we are seeing an increase in MRSA -- a superbug known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- all over the country.

Dr. Denise Dowd, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Injury, Poison and Violence Prevention Committee, said she treats at least three cases a day in the emergency room.

A serious "superbug" infection can start as an innocent-looking insect or mosquito bite, but counselors need to be vigilant about anything that worsens or spreads, as it could be a sign of a serious staph infection. Simple handwashing -- something kids may forget to do at camp -- can greatly reduce the spread of dangerous germs.

Another trend is more campers with food allergies, particularly peanut allergies. "The peanut butter-and-jelly camp sandwich we grew up with is gone," explained Solomon, as camps strive to monitor not only what's served in camp cafeterias, but what's received in care packages.

Parents concerned about overweight kids can take comfort in another trend: better camp food. "While 20 years ago, 20 percent of our camps had salad bars, now well over 80 percent have them. And as a result campers are eating less carbs, and healthier meals," Solomon said.

What if your child hates more than bug juice, and wants to come home?

Experts say by age 9, kids should have mastered separation, and 80 percent of first-time campers join right in. But camp personnel are becoming more sensitive to another trend: the number of campers from divorced families.

"Some children from divorced families are perfectly comfortable, but if there's any trauma around the divorce, those kids bring with them to camp their family struggles," Siegel said. He said camp staff are increasingly trained to identify and pay attention to kids from painful family situations, to help them adjust.

As a final safety consideration, while many parents may feel like they're on holiday as well when the kids go to camp, one of the most important things to remember is, your child or camp needs to be able to reach you at all times. "It's extremely important for kids to have continuous emergency contacts at all times," said Dowd, in case things do go wrong.

The one thing that hasn't changed at America's summer camps, some of which are more than 100 years old, is the opportunity for your child to have fun.

"Kids really look forward to camp and friendships there," said Siegel. "It's a wonderful opportunity for them to grow."