Bristol Palin Wants to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

When Vice President nominee Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol became the reluctant public face of teen pregnancy, she created quite the stir, sparking conversations on talk shows around the country about abstinence-only education, and how teen pregnancy affects all types of families.

At the time, Bristol was still with her boyfriend Levi, and the two were going to make a go at raising the child together, and hopefully get married. We know now that that’s not how things worked out, but Bristol is using her high-profile situation to hopefully prevent the same thing from happening to someone else.

The Candie’s Foundation just announced that Bristol is its new Teen Ambassador, and she’ll be participating in events during today’s National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy in order to help raise awareness for teen pregnancy prevention.

“I feel that I could be a living example of the consequences of teen pregnancy. If I can prevent even one girl from getting pregnant, I will feel a sense of accomplishment,” said Bristol.

Here are some things you should know about teen pregnancy, courtesy of The Candie’s Foundation and Stay Teen:

Did you know that over 90% of teens believe that it’s important that they get a strong message about waiting to have sex? In fact, 60% of teens who have had sex wish they had waited longer and 75% don’t see anything embarrassing about admitting that they’re virgins. Clearly, teens in the 21st century are recognizing merit in putting off sex and the consequences – both physical and emotional – that are attached to sex.

Some things to keep in mind about waiting:
• Over half of all teens are not having sex, and of the half that are, most regret it and wish they had waited.
• Unfortunately, the half who aren’t sexually active sometimes think they’re the only ones because they’ve bought the #1 Sex Myth: everybody’s doing it.
• Moreover, some teens lie about having sex…when you think everybody’s doing it – and you know you’re not – lying can seem like the easiest option.
• We also know from surveys that boys show significant respect—though often unspoken—for girls who resist pressure to have sex and remain virgins.
• It’s hard to believe, but most first time sexual relationships are romantic but short-lived. Eight out of ten first time teen sexual relationships last 6 months or less and one-fourth are one-time occurrences.

Visit the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy here for more information and resources.