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In her first interview since giving birth, Bristol Palin told CNN Fox that enjoining young people to be abstinent is “not realistic at all.” This puts her at odds with her mother but squarely on the side of reams of social science research that shows abstinence education programs don’t work. The young Palin said she had decided to speak out (despite suffering through “evil” tabloid coverage) because teens need to know that having a child is “not glamorous.” She could be onto something. If she can put across a nuanced approach to sex ed that embraces contraception, it could help sway some conservatives–and maybe cover her childcare costs by landing her a lucrative book deal.
