Millennials – Revealing Data On Religion, Sex, Education & Abortion

Millennials are generally referred to as the generation born between 1980 and 1999. There’s no concrete definition to be had, but Millennials are mainly thought of as the group that was born at the end of the last century. Those terms have Millennials currently falling into the 18 to 34 year-old age bracket.

Whether you like it or not, Millennials will soon be taking over the country in the next few decades. The business, political and social arenas will be slowly swallowed up by Millennials as they were by generations preceding them. Millennials outnumber Baby Boomers by 11 million individuals in the United States, and currently take up the largest percentage of the population at 28%. They are the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in American history.

With all of that in mind, a new study was just released by the Public Religion Research Institute which revealed some fascinating data concerning attitudes and values Millennials have towards such topics as religion, sex, abortion, marriage and education.

When it comes to religion, Millennials are far and away the most uninterested generation in God by far. Over a third (33%) of Millennials report having no religious affiliation. By comparison, less than a quarter (22%) of Americans aged 35 to 49 and less than a fifth (16%) aged 50 to 64 report the same thing. According to the data, religion is rapidly declining in popularity in the United States.

When asked whether or not a prescription should be required to obtain emergency contraception – often referred to as the “morning after pill” – Millennials were almost split down the middle, though a majority of Millennials (55%) said they didn’t think a prescription was necessary.

The same percentage of Millennials (55%) said they thought that abortion should be legal in “all or most cases.”

When it comes to sex education, an overwhelming majority of Millennials (75%) think that sex education should definitely be taught in public schools. According to the survey, this support for sex education cuts across all racial, ethnic and religious groups within the Millennial category. Nearly a quarter (23%) of Millennials reported that they had no sex education in wither middle or high-school.

Additionally, Millennials think that not only should sex education be more prevalent in public schools, but it should also include more information. Over 37% of Millennials who did receive sex education in school said that the classes did not help them in making decisions about sex and relationships.

Teaching abstinence is not the way to go, according to Millennials. Over two-thirds (67%) of them think that teaching safe-sex is far better than teaching no-sex.

When it comes to health insurance, the collective opinions of the Millennials become even stronger; 87% of Millennials believe that health insurance should include STD and HIV testing, and 82% believe that health insurance should cover prescription contraception. Over half of all Millennials also believe that private businesses should be required to provide health insurance that includes prescription contraception.

When Millennials were asked whether or not a woman having a full-time job was a problem for families, the group gave a resounding “no” to the tune of 66%.

Speaking of families, 25% of Millennials think that marriage is an outdated notion. Over 67% of Millennials are in favor of same-sex marriage legalization nationwide. However, those Millennials that do get married are getting married later than previous generations, waiting until they are in their late twenties on average.

The Millennials are the most educated generation in history. How do you feel about their opinions concerning sex, contraception, education, marriage and religion? What do you think their opinions will mean for the future of the United States?

[Photo by Jeff Fusco/Getty Images]