About one-third of males in the United States use a condom when they have sex, an increase in condom usage among males since 2002, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the research, when participants were asked about their most recent sexual experience, 33.7% of males and 23.8% of females said they used a condom. The percentage for males represents an increase from 29.5% in 2002. The percentage of females using condoms was virtually unchanged from 2002, though that may be because they use other contraception methods, such as the pill or intrauterine devices (IUDs).

The findings were published in the CDC report “Condom Use During Sexual Intercourse Among Women and Men Aged 15 to 44 in the United States: 2011 to 2015 National Survey of Family Growth.”

An independent sample of males and females 15 to 44 from 2011 to 2015 was conducted to show what the condom use was over a 12-month period in relation to gender, age, race and education level. The CDC analyzed responses from 20,621 participants to determine when condoms were used.

Condoms are the most popular contraceptive method in the United States, as well as the most effective method to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Casey E. Copen, the lead author of the study, said: “The main thing that was found was an increase in condom use among men. This is a positive step toward reducing STIs.”

The report found that younger people are more likely to use condoms than their elders. Only 15.7% of females and 6.7% of males aged 15 to 19 did not use a condom at all over a year, in contrast to 74.9% of females and 70.9% of males 33 to 44 who did not use one. The lower percentages for condom use for the older cohort probably are because they were in a monogamous relationship or trying to have a baby.

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