Sex? Sexual intercourse? Teens are having less intercourse, but that doesn’t mean less sex

For years, studies have shown a decline in the rates of American high school students having sex. That trend continued, not surprisingly, in the first years of the pandemic, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found 30% of teenagers in 2021 said they had ever had sex, down from 38% in 2019 and a huge drop from three decades ago when more than half of teens reported having sex. But how they define sex might not be what you think. (Jae C. Hong / AP)

Situationships. Sneaky links. The talking stage, the flirtatious getting-to-know-you phase — typically via text — that can lead to a hookup.

High school students are having less sexual intercourse. That’s what the studies say. But that doesn’t mean they’re having less sex.