I went to NYC yesterday because my boss, Sarah Brown, was one of the panelists at a National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy event. Bristol Palin was also a panelist.

Bristol is a parenting teenager - like hundreds of thousands of other girls in this country, she got pregnant and had a baby last year. She and her boyfriend have broken up (as is usually the case in these situations) and she is urging other teens to avoid what she's been through. She loves her son, as most moms do, but she says she wishes she had waited. Waited to have sex, waited to have a baby, waited a little longer before growing up this way. And people are attacking her for it.

I don't get it. She's a kid who made some mistakes and she's warning others not to make the same ones. If she were a recovering addict urging young people not to use drugs no one would call her a hypocrite. If she had killed someone (killed someone!) while driving under the influence and was warning other teens about drinking and driving she'd be hailed as courageous. If she had a history of disordered eating and was reaching out to young girls about forming healthy relationships with food she'd be a hero. Why is this any different? I think more of us who have learned from past experiences should work to save others from the heartache we've had.

In honor of "Let's Talk" month, the Candie's Foundation launched the America, Wake Up PSA campaign, which is designed to encourage teens and adults to talk about sex and teen pregnancy.  One of the PSAs aired this past Monday night following an episode of the wildly popular Gossip Girl, with advance press appearing in the Monday issue of USA Today to the tune of a full page ad. 

But...

Those of you wondering if your memory is going need not fear - you did not in fact see the ad anywhere in Monday's edition of USA Today.  In fact, it was pulled by USA Today on Friday afternoon out of fear of offending its readers.

Now, I'm the last person to impugn the rights of freedom of speech - USA Today has the right to do and print whatever they deem appropriate.  Their 11th hour rejection of the ad doesn't make them bad or unfair.  Instead, I'd argue that it just makes them gigantic 'fraidy cats.  For a major newspaper to reject an ad that simply encourages talking to your kids about sex based on the rationale that it might offend people shows just how inflammatory this issue has gotten.  What's worse, it throws into sharp relief just how much work we still have ahead of us.

Again USA Today has the right to approve/ reject anything they want.  But if it's a matter of offending their readership, in my humble opinion there are a thousand things more offensive than having an honest conversation with your kids about sex.  

But that's just me.

Two of my favorite things will be together in one place tonight -- a teen pregnancy prevention ad is scheduled to run during Gossip Girl!  (Actually it's three of my favorite things -- tonight's GG is directed by Vondie Curtis Hall -- an original Broadway cast member from my all-time favorite show, Dreamgirls, but I digress...)  Anyway, if you're not already watching Gossip Girl for the fashions, intrigue and hilarity, you should at least tune in tonight to see the PSA.  

It comes from our friends at the Candie's Foundation -- longtime allies in the fight to keep teens from getting pregnant.  Perhaps you saw their big print ad in today's New York Times.  It's always good to see some of the startling statistics associated with teen pregnancy laid out in black and white (and pink).  Such as the fact that 3 in 10 girls in the U.S. will get pregnant at least once before their 20th birthdays.  Or that fewer than half of teen moms ever graduate from high school.  It can happen to anyone -- any sexually active teenager who doesn't use protection, even one time, can get pregnant (or get someone pregnant).  It doesn't matter if you go to Constance Billiard or a big public high school, if you're the Queen B or a regular girl.  It doesn't even matter if your name is Chuck Bass.

xoxo

The lovely ladies of ABC's "The View" talked teen pregnancy on Thursday with actors from "One Life to Live" and The National Campaign's own Marisa Nightingale.  Kristen Alderson, who plays 16-year-old Starr Manning on the daytime drama, and Brandon Buddy, who plays her 17-year-old boyfriend Cole Thornhart, talked about their pregnancy storyline - what they've learned, the reaction they're getting from readers of their blog and how they hope its helping others deal with the challenges of teen sexuality.  Marisa contributed some excellent words of wisdom to the segment as well, encouraging parents to talk to their kids about sex and relationships. You can see the whole thing here.