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Study: Most sexually active teens using contraception

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(CNN) - A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that many American teenagers are engaging in sexual activity, but those that do are more likely to use protection than ever before.

Contraception-use among sexually active teenagers is higher now than it was in the late '80s.

That's one of the findings from the National Survey of Family Growth, which is administered by the CDC.

Since 1988, the CDC has been tracking the sexual behaviors and activities of American teens between the ages of 15 and 19.

Researchers interview teens in their homes and responses are collected in complete privacy.

The most recent report gathered data from more than 4,000 teenagers between 2011 and 2015.

It found that while rates of sexual activity among teenagers are essentially unchanged since the late '80s, the use of contraceptives has gone up significantly.

About 90 percent of female teenagers said they use some form of contraception, compared to 80 percent in 1988.

And 95 percent of male teenagers reported contraceptive use, up from 84 percent in 1988.

Condoms, the pill and withdrawal were the most commonly-used formed of birth control reported.

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