Bristol Palin on Bringing Up Baby

Staff / Truthdig May 7, 2009 It's definitely "do as I say, not as I do" material, but Bristol Palin showed up on NBC's "Today" show Wednesday morning with dad Todd and baby Tripp in an effort to prevent other teenagers from becoming parents before they're ready. Matt Lauer snuck in a question about babydaddy Levi Johnston, but Bristol totally wasn't having it. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Rapping Penis Takes Canada by Storm

Staff / Truthdig Apr 8, 2009 This Canadian Planned Parenthood commercial makes the argument for (or against?) sex education. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Pope: Condoms Don’t Help in Fight Against AIDS

Staff / Truthdig Mar 18, 2009 On his way to his first visit to Africa, Pope Benedict XVI told attendant members of the press that he believes encouraging condom use not only doesn't help in the fight against AIDS, but actually worsens the situation. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bristol Palin: Abstinence-Only Plan Doesn’t Work

Staff / Truthdig Feb 17, 2009 Last fall, Bristol Palin became a controversial figure in her mother Sarah Palin's vice presidential bid when it was revealed, not long after the elder Palin took to the campaign trail, that the teenaged Bristol was pregnant by her high school boyfriend. Now Bristol has re-emerged to make a few comments that run against her mom's approach to teen sex ed. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bristol Palin Delivers Baby Tripp

Staff / Truthdig Dec 30, 2008 After passing the last few months of her pregnancy under public scrutiny, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's 18-year-old daughter, Bristol Palin, gave birth to a boy on Saturday and named him Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Teachable Moment for Teen Pregnancy

Ellen Goodman / Truthdig Jun 26, 2008 Well now, isn't that a relief. The infamous "pregnancy pact" at Gloucester High School turns out to be an urban legend. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Bad News, Abstinence Fans

Staff / Truthdig Mar 12, 2008 If ever there was irrefutable evidence that abstinence education doesn't quite work, this is it. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control finds that at least one in four U.S. teenage girls is infected with a sexually transmitted disease. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Faith-Based Boondoggle

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Nov 15, 2007 Countless studies show that abstinence-only sex education just doesn't work, so why is it getting more money than ever from the federal government? Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Maine Middle School to Offer Birth Control

Staff / Truthdig Oct 18, 2007 While the nation's tweens and teens are taught the laughable "abstinence only" government-sponsored curriculum about sex, one middle school in Maine is taking a more realistic approach to the matter, offering a range of birth control options in an effort to curb a troubling trend toward teen pregnancy among its students. Yes, you read that right: This is a middle school we're talking about here. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Your Tax Dollars at Work: Abstinence Ads

Staff / Truthdig Oct 9, 2007 The Department of Health and Human Services' latest abstinence ad commands the viewer to "tell your kids you want them to wait till they're married to have sex." That's the Bush administration for you: Forget about the heaps of data that show a strategy doesn't work and just keep throwing money at it. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Congress Re-Ups Abstinence-Ed Program

Staff / Truthdig Oct 2, 2007 File under "Your Tax Dollars at Work": Congress has once again approved a three-month extension of a $50-million nationwide abstinence-education program, a move detractors say ignores indications that the approach (shock!) may not be working for America's teens. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Romney, Obama Spar Over Sex Ed

Staff / Truthdig Jul 21, 2007 What's the right way to talk to children about sex? Presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama have different ideas about how to answer this classic question -- and for his part, Obama thinks stories about storks don't fly after a certain age. Meanwhile, Romney proudly touts his record in promoting abstinence education. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )