When everyone’s favorite hockey mom, Sarah Palin, was selected to run alongside John McCain in the 2008 presidential election, the Palin family’s political and personal lives were subjected to relentless media scrutiny. The American public learned very quickly more than they probably ever wanted to know about Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, Trig, and Todd and Sarah Palin. Soon after Sarah Palin’s candidacy for VP was announced, it was made public that Bristol, the eldest Palin daughter, was about 6 months pregnant, and the news created a media sensation across the country. On top of that, the bitter irony of the situation refueled the debate over sex education and teen pregnancy. During the campaign, McCain vocally opposed teaching teenagers about contraception, and his running mate’s teenage daughter winds up pregnant! Unexpectedly! Out of wedlock!

Fast forward through the terrorist fist bump, Joe the Plumber, Crazy Lady from McCain Rally, and other nuggets of joy from the 2008 election that I’m sure we will cherish in our hearts for years to come; we know how this chapter eventually ended: Sarah Palin went on to charm the few and annoy the masses, McCain’s campaign was squarely spanked on election night, and Barack Obama made history when he was elected as the U.S.’ first black president.

Jump to February 2009 - Bristol Palin gives her first interview since the birth of her child, Tripp Johnston (…..it’s a boy, in case you couldn’t tell by the name…. I couldn’t.)

Check it:

You don’t say! Expecting every teenager to remain abstinent is unrealistic? Shocking! What, then, could Bristol have done to prevent such an uncomfortable and inconvenient situation? Bristol really isn’t guilty of anything but willful ignorance (ok, maybe you can throw in bad judgment and awkward baby-naming), but the CDC reports that over 12 million teenagers get into the same predicament each year.¹ When you look at these statistics and teen pregnancy as a whole, you have to wonder what’s going wrong. Wasilla High School, like thousands of other state and non-profit organizations, has been receiving federal funding over the last decade to utilize “abstinence-only-until-marriage” sex education programs. “Abstinence-only” means students are taught that sex within marriage is “the expected standard of all human sexual activity” and sexual activity outside of this standard is likely to have “harmful psychological and physical effects”.³

The Sex Ed Guru Says: "According to a study in Pediatrics , abstinence-only programs that include abstinence pledges are not effective in delaying teen sexual activity. In fact, over half of the students who made pledges to remain abstinent until marriage engaged in sexual activity within 5 years of the pledge, and were less likely to use contraceptives or use them correctly when they did choose to become sexually active when compared to their non-pledging peers."

Aside from the fact that these programs ostracize LGBT students for whom marriage is not allowed (or may not be desired), this approach withholds important information from students about STIs and pregnancy prevention. Abstinence-only programs cannot contain information regarding contraception except for their failure rates. Furthermore, a 2004 congressional review found that most abstinence-only curricula doesn’t just omit vital information, it is often just plain wrong. One textbook states that “the chances of getting pregnant with a condom are 1 out of 6”³ when condoms are actually 98% effective in preventing pregnancy when used correctly.⁴

The Sex Ed Guru Says: "True, according to Contraceptive Technology (19th edition, 2007), when used correctly and consistently, male condoms can provide 98% protection against pregnancy. But when used incorrectly and inconsistently, it can provide 85% protection against pregnancy. The latter is the number that many abstinenece-only programs will soley give their focus and attention. 1 out of 6 is about 16.7%, which could translate as condoms having a 83.3% effective (close to 85%) rate against pregnancy. However, the abstinence-only messaging fails to mention that they are focusing on the effectiveness rate of a person who uses condoms incorrectly and/or inconsistently."

Another program claimed that HIV can remain undetectable in the body for up to 10 years⁵, when the CDC verifies that 97% of HIV cases can be diagnosed within 3 months of infection.⁶

The Sex Ed Guru Says: "Most HIV testing diagnoses (whether HIV-positive or HIV-negative) has about a 97% accuracy within 3 months after possible exposure. A retest can be recommended 3 months afterwards (or 6 months after possible exposure) to verify a result accuracy of over 99%. In most cases, an HIV test may pick up HIV antibodies within 2-8 weeks after possible exposure."

Now, I can understand how uncomfortable it can be to have “the talk” with your parents, let alone if your mom happens to be Sarah Palin, but Bristol clearly did not get the information she needed at home or those “other avenues” that her mother quietly endorsed back in 2006. You would think that a mom who believes in “the right of [teens] to receive the support and input of their parents as they face a life changing decision” would be more proactive in discussing healthy sexual behavior with her teenage daughter.⁷ On the other hand, it’s very likely Bristol didn’t know to ask about what she was missing because the people responsible for teaching her the truth about sex education withheld vital information.

It’s not enough to just throw up your hands and say that abstinence is unrealistic. When you aren’t getting the information you need in class, raise your hand and ask your question. If this doesn’t work, sit quietly and attentively at your desk until the bell rings, and turn to a trusted source of information. See the little question mark icon at the top of the page? If you click that link, you can IM a certified Planned Parenthood health educator (oh, and you can totally trust us….we’ve been in the business of answering these kinds of questions for about 95 years). Bristol Palin might be the daughter of the big, important governor of Alaska, but she is too common. The biggest difference between her and you is that you know how to seek out the information to keep yourself from ending up in her situation. Demand complete sexual health information. Protect yourself with knowledge.

¹The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, “Teen Birth Rates in the United States,” 2006 Teen Birth Data, [cited 19 Feb. 2009]. Available from the World Wide Web: http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/birthdata/default.aspx
²Section 501(b) of Title V of the Social Security Act, P.L. 104-193. Available from the World Wide Web: <http://nomoremoney.org/index.cfm?pageid=948>
³Nancy Benn, LeAnna Roach, Me, My World, My Future, 3^rd ed. (Spokane: Teen-Aid, Inc., 1993), p. 258.
⁴Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Unintended Pregnancy Prevention: Contraception,” CDC Reproductive Health. [cited 27 Feb. 2009]. Available from the World Wide Web: <http://www.cdc.gov/ReproductiveHealth/UnintendedPregnancy/Contraception.htm> ⁵Colleen Kelly Mast, Sex Respect Student Workbook (Frankfort, IL: Respect, Inc., 2009), p. 60.
⁶Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Should I Get Tested?,” CDC HIV/AIDS, [cited 27 Feb. 2009]. Available from the World Wide Web: <http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/testing/resources/qa/be_tested.htm#wait>
⁷Anne Sutton, “Palin backs bill requiring parental consent,” The Associated Press State & Local Wire (27 February 2009)