Most of the "millennial" generation in the United States supports the teaching of sex education in state-funded schools, according to the 2015 Survey of Millennials, Sexuality, and Reproductive Health.

Just one in five are opposed, the survey shows, with support for the policy across racial, ethnic, and religious groups.

In spite of the high level of support, nearly one in four millennials say they had no sex education class in school. Millennials are the young people who followed Generation X and are sometimes known as Generation Y. The numbers who missed out on a sex education were highest among those who attended religious schools.

More than two-thirds said emphasising safe sex and birth control was a better way to prevent unplanned pregnancy than preaching abstinence. However, among white evangelicals there was much higher support for abstinence.

More than eight in ten millennials said that health insurance should include coverage for HIV and STD testing and contraception. Six out of ten also said emergency contraception should be covered by health insurance.

Nearly one in five women of the millennial generation said they had used emergency contraception at some point. Fewer than one in ten reported an unintended pregnancy. A similar number also said they had had an abortion. Many knew close friends or members of their family who had abortions. A similar number, nearly one in ten, became a teen parent.

One per cent said they were HIV positive or had AIDS.

More than seven in ten said artificial birth control was morally acceptable. Fewer than one in ten said it was morally wrong and the remainder said it depended on the situation. Nearly eight in ten believed all forms of legal contraception should be readily available on college campuses.

About half also said abortion should be legal in most or legal in all cases but they are divided by religion on this issue. White Catholics were evenly split on the issue and white evangelical Protestants were the most strongly opposed.