The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy Statement on Bristol Palin

Bill Albert
202-478-8510

9/1/2008

(Washington DC) -- The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy issued the following in response to the announcement that Bristol Palin, the 17-year-old daughter of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, is pregnant:

The teen pregnancy and birth rate have declined dramatically since the early 1990s (down 38% and 32% respectively) driven by decreases in sexual activity and increases in contraceptive use.
Even so, recent data show that the declines in teen sex and improvements in contraceptive use have leveled off and that the teen birth rate is on the rise for the first time in 15 years.
At present, 3 in 10 girls in the United States become pregnant by age 20.
There are more than 729,000 teen pregnancies annually and in 2006, there were 435,000 births to teens.
At present, half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned and about 8 in 10 pregnancies to teens are unplanned.
The teen pregnancy and birth rate in Alaska is below the national average and, since the early 1990s, has declined more steeply than the national average.

"Getting pregnant and bearing children is one of the most important steps any person takes and we certainly wish Bristol Palin and her family the best," said Sarah Brown, CEO of The National Campaign. "Given that teen pregnancy will once again be in the national spotlight, we also hope that parents nationwide will take this opportunity to talk to their own children about sex, love, relationships, values, pregnancy, and family formation."

For more information: Please visit www.TheNationalCampaign.org or call Bill Albert, 202-478-8510.

About The National Campaign: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to improve the lives and future prospects of children and families. Our specific strategy is to prevent teen pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy among single, young adults. We support a combination of responsible behavior by both men and women and responsible policies in both the public and private sectors.

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The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy Statement on Bristol Palin