A recent report based on the past 12 months data from CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), 2023 shed light on gender differences in asking for verbal consent before sexual activity among U.S. high school students (n=5,492). While many people might be familiar with the CDC's National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)—often cited for its findings on gender parity in rape victimization—this YRBSS data offers fresh insights into consent behaviors among teens.

Key Findings

  • Overall Rates: 79.8% of students reported asking for verbal consent during their last sexual contact.
  • Gender Gap: Male students were significantly more likely to ask for verbal consent (84.6%) compared to female students (74.5%).

Demographic Breakdown

  • Age (Females): Younger females (16–17 years) were more likely to ask for consent (76.5–78.0%) than those aged 18+ (66.4%).
  • Race/Ethnicity (Females): Asian females led in asking for consent (92.3%), while rates were lower among Hispanic (75.1%), White (74.0%), Black (73.2%), and AI/AN (72.1%) females.
  • Sexual Orientation (Females): Female students with same-sex-only contacts were more likely to ask for consent (85.9%) than those with opposite-sex-only contacts (73.4%).
  • Race/Ethnicity (Males): Black male students had lower rates of asking for consent (76.0%) compared to Hispanic (87.6%) and White students (85.3%).
  • Sexual Orientation (Males): Bisexual males reported the highest prevalence of asking for consent (94.2%), compared to heterosexual (85.2%) and questioning students (65.8%).

Additional Insights

  • Male students who first had sexual intercourse before age 13 were less likely to ask for consent (74.7%) than those who waited until after age 13 (85.4%).
  • Condom use was strongly associated with asking for verbal consent in both males and females.

Thoughts?