How the Candie's Foundation and Bristol Palin Created a National Dialogue on Teen Pregnancy

For the first time in my life, I am inclined to write a blog, based on the outpouring of articles, debates and strong responses on the Huffington Post and other news organizations regarding The Candie's Foundation, myself, Bristol Palin and the reaction to the town hall meeting we hosted last week.

I founded The Candie's Foundation in 2001 as an organization to raise awareness about teen pregnancy prevention during a time in which one million girls were getting pregnant each year. Over the past eight years the Foundation has created series of television, print and online public service announcements featuring celebrities whom teens admire and respect to educate teens about the issue. I am proud of the work the Foundation has completed and am proud of the town hall meeting and the results it has produced.

Last Wednesday, May 6th (the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy) was an amazing day for The Candie's Foundation where America was bombarded by a media initiative on teen pregnancy that made over 100 million impressions.

In appointing Bristol Palin as a teen ambassador to The Candie's Foundation, teen pregnancy was discussed on ABC, NBC, and CBS's national morning shows and over 300 television broadcasts across America as well as in newspapers and online; consequently accomplishing the goal of the Foundation. On talk shows the topic was debated with some experts speaking about abstinence as the safest way to prevent a pregnancy, and others speaking about protection. I truly believe a huge number of parents and teens talked about the issue at home as well. By grabbing share of mind from kids last week it is my belief we will have prevented or delayed many kids from having babies.

At the town hall meeting, Bristol was one of six panelists that spoke about the issue. Bristol's message was that abstinence is the only way to prevent a pregnancy. Bristol was courageous enough to speak out publicly with the message of "do as I say, not as I did." Each panelist had a different view. Actress, Hayden Panettierre spoke of safe sex as an option as did others. Other members of the panel included MLB starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays and teen parent, Matt Garza, Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen Magazine, Ann Shoket, CEO of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, Sarah Brown and myself. It was moderated by Good Morning America's Chris Cuomo.

When the question is asked, what does The Candie's Foundation believe in -- abstinence or safe sex? We believe the answer is both. Whether we, as Americans can agree on safe sex vs. abstinence is not the issue here; the issue is educating teens about pregnancy prevention.

Teen pregnancy and parenthood cannot be ignored; after a 14-year decline, teen births are on the rise. This year, nearly 750,000 girls in the United States will get pregnant before age 20, having a catastrophic impact on each girl's life. Nearly half of teen mothers will not finish high school and fewer than two percent will earn a college degree by age 30. I urge all of us to continue the national dialogue that has been started on teen pregnancy. This has been the mission of The Candie's Foundation for the past eight years and will continue to be our mission going forward.

Comments

[PatA]

I would like to ask how many teenagers do you think watch the morning news with the networks? The ones who are home sick? Nope, they're sleeping in. How on earth someone would believe that the forum of news programs would work with teens is beyond me.

AND having Bristol Palin talking about teen pregnancy is nice and all...but I don't think any of the teens that I know around my small town would give her a moments time. Besides I bet that her mother had much to do with getting her this gig. It is calling "campaigning for mommy"...

I was addressing this problem 30 years ago with talks about SAFE sex. Teens are going to have sex. That is a given.

Work with it!

[Flavor]

Mr. Cole thank you, for the article but I just have to give my views on this, we have been funding teen pregnancy for years and it continues and continues. My thought may and will be different from others and that's fine that's why I love america we have a right to voice our own opinion. I believe the thinking about teen pregnancy has to change because until it does we will see a continual rise in it,listen for some reason there are young girls who feel the need to have a baby in their teenage life, they have no clue what this job description comes with because it is a job. A baby is not just to dress up and look cute all the time, there is patience that comes with being a mother, there is teaching that comes with being a mother, there is dicipline that comes with being a mother and there is some heartache that comes with being a mother, usually the teenage mother has to have help from her parents because you can't do this alone being a young 14yr old parent. First teaching comes from home so us parents have got to talk about this issue with both sexes, we have to let them know what kind of responsibility comes with parenting, and not think they already know. Just my view.

[recless]

I'm confused by the author's comment. He says that abstinence and safe sex both have a place. What does that mean? Teaching abstinence along side safer sex or sometimes just abstinence "education" is adequate? Of course abstinence should be taught as part of a comprehensive program, but if the author is advocating any form of abstinence-only then I have to part ways with his organization.

As to Bristol Palin, abstinence is not the only way to prevent a pregnancy. She, like so many people, have been poisoned by this nation’s sexual dysfunction. It is not only “normal” for teens to have sex, but it is and historically has been the “norm”. We need to get away from these poisonous ideas that teens are stupid or just drunk on hormones. They are acting the way thousands of generations before them acted. Enough with the morality discussions, please. We need to treat this for what it is; a public health issue.

[sunnybunny]

Why is it only teenagers that everyone is talking about? With 1/2 of all pregnancies being unplanned, there is a real problem going on in all age groups. I personally think it much more tragic to see a woman like Sarah Palin get ACCIDENTALLY pregnant with a FIFTH child when she not only is WAY PAST her healthy childbearing years, but also due to the fact she already has 4 kids and a state to run - doesn't have the time to take care of it. Compared to a young woman who has ONE child and is a student by trade. Poor Bristol didn't have any chance of learning anything science related from her mother. I bet she still doesn't understand how birth control works (Mom still doesn't)

[LauraVW]

I think it's great to put Bristol out there to speak as the 1 out of 5 teenage mothers who ACCIDENTALLY got pregnant (instead of deliberately trying to conceive). Since the President with a stroke of the pen in January undid the Clinton welfare reforms (the 5 year rule) the 40% decline in, for example, black teenage mothers since 1992, should be wiped out by the fall. Despite whatever the intent is of this Administration to deliver such a windfall to poverty brokers and poverty Czars being a teenage mother will STILL be an incredibly difficult road for these young women and Bristol is their only chance of understanding what is in store for them. Namely, putting their personal dreams and aspirations aside for the next eighteen years.

[tel8034]

OK we read the prepared speech ..........­.......... Now tell the TRUTH.

Bristol going out on the abstinence tour is nothing more than Sarah doing damage control for her poor parenting, and her lack of the republican family values she preaches to others about, and using her daughter as a political tool.

After being a sexually active teen, there is no way that Bristol will suddenly adhere to abstinance ....

Maybe she will use birth control, but she won't be abstinent ............ Which is why doing the abstinence is TOTALLY HYPOCRITICAL and POLITICALLY DISHONEST..

[MNinWI]

You cannot stop the raging hormones of teens-never could, never will. We were told (Catholic upbringing) abstinence only when or even if the subject was ever brought up but I don't think anyone actually practiced that. You are fighting nature. Doesn't work. BTW you make cute looking shoes but THE most uncomfortable shoes in the world. Try wearing them for more than 1/2 hour sometime. You can't do that either.