The RHS as its name suggests is a survey of that updates the measures of reproductive health issues among the female population 15 - 49 years and young men 15 - 24 years and is carried out every 5 years. RHS 2002 is currently underway, and the findings will be reported by early 2003.

84.9% of young adults males 15 - 24 years ever had sexual relations

56% of females and 31% of males who are sexually experienced used a contraceptive at first intercourse

Most young adult males (46.6%) 15 - 24 said the reason for not using a contraceptive at first intercourse was that they did not expect to have sex while for the males (15 - 25) most of them said that they did not know of any methods

Just over a half of sexually experienced females (56.5%) and males (56.7%) 15 - 24 are sexually active

There are approximately 688,000 women in the reproductive age group (15-49).

68% of these women are either married, in common law or visiting relationship. They are said to be in a union

Of these women in a union 65.9% of them are using a contraceptive method; 21% use the pill, 17% the condom and 12% are sterilized.

15.4% of women 15-44 years are in need of family planning services.

11% of women age 15-49 in a union use the condom as a secondary method. 24% of these women use the pill as a primary method, 14% the injection, 9% the IUD and 6% are sterilized.

Mean age at which women start using a contraceptive is 19.5.

20% of sexually experienced women aged 15-49 have been forced to have sex at some time. 26% were within the age group 15-19, 23% were classified in the low socio-economic index and 21% had 0-9years of education.

At least half of women 15-49 have had a pap smear, 27% of these women did pap smear within the past 2 years and 15% within the past 1 year.

34% of all pregnancies are planned, 43% are mistimed

53% of women 15-49 are currently sexually active.

13.5% of women 15-49 were told during their most recent pregnancy that they had high blood pressure, 20% of these women are from Kingston and 9% St. Mary.

The total fertility rate ( i.e. the total # of children / woman ) for Jamaica is 2.8.

Median age at first sex among women 15-49 years is 17

Median age at first birth among women 15-49 is 21