An extensive government report on US youth shows high school students have a wiser approach to sex: fewer engaged in sex in 2005, more used a condom and there were fewer teenage mothers.

A report to be released Friday by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, a consortium of federal agencies that includes the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Census Bureau and the Administration for Children and Families, comes with positive news.

In 2005, 47 percent of high school students reported having sexual intercourse, while in 1991 the figure was 51 percent. The rate remained the same as in 2003.

Edward J. Sondik, director of the National Center for Health Statistics commended the report’s results: “The implications for the population are quite positive in terms of their health and their well-being. The lower figure on teens having sex means the risk of sexually transmitted diseases is lower.”

Other good news was that of the high school students who reported having had sex during a three-month period in 2005, 63 percent used condoms, a significant increase from the 46 percent reported in 1991.

Perhaps the most astounding figure was that of teenage birth rate in 2005: an all-time low at 21 per 1,000 young women ages 15 to 17. In 1991, the rate was 39 births per 1,000 teenagers.

“This is very good news,” Mr. Sondik said. “Young teen mothers and their babies are at a greater risk of both immediate and long-term difficulties.”

The report was compiled from statistics and studies at 22 federal agencies, and covered 38 indicators, including infant mortality, academic achievement rates and the number of children living in poverty.