• NOT everybody is doing it. The percentage of high school males who have ever had sex declined from 57% in 1991 to 49% in 2001. The proportion of high school girls who reported having sex decreased from 51% in 1991 to 43% in 2001.

• Teens do not think it is embarrassing to say they are virgins. The vast majority of teens (73%) surveyed recently do not think it is embarrassing for teens to say they are virgins.

• Most teens who have had sex wish they had waited. Sixty-seven percent of teens surveyed who have had sexual intercourse wish they had waited longer. Of those who have had sex, more than one-half of teen boys (60%) and the great majority of teen girls (77%) said they wish they had waited longer to have sex.

• Teens say sex is not acceptable for high school-age teens. Close to six in 10 teens (58%) surveyed recently said sexual activity for high school-age teens is not acceptable, even if precautions are taken against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

• Teens say they should be given a strong abstinence message. Ninety-four percent of teens say that it is important for teens to be given a strong message from society that they should abstain from sex until they are at least out of high school.

• Teens decide to delay becoming sexually active for many different reasons. In one survey of teen girls, "values and morals" was the most common reason given. Others included wanting to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, or because they were waiting for the "right" partner.

• Teen males' approval of premarital sex is declining. The proportion of adolescent males aged 17-19 who approve of premarital sex when a couple does not plan to marry decreased from 80% in 1988 to 71% in 1995.

• College freshmen are less likely to approve of casual sex. A record low 40% of college freshmen (down from a record high of 52% in 1987) agree that "if two people really like each other, it's all right for them to have sex even if they've known each other for a very short time."

Source: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, www.teenpregnancy.org.