Teens Don't Use Birth Control Because They Think They're Immune To Pregnancy

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Everything about this is just sad: a new study tracking the sexual habits of teenage girls finds that many of them don't use birth control for some incredibly misguided, dated reasons. Like what? Oh, you know, the good old "I didn't think I could get pregnant the first time I had sex," "I didn't think I could get pregnant when I was on my period," the ever-popular "my boyfriend didn't want to use a condom," and, most astoundingly, "I just didn't think I could get pregnant." Girls, if prominent religious figures can get knocked up without ever having sex, what in god's name makes you think you're immune when you do get it on?

“This report underscores how much misperception, ambivalence and magical thinking put teens at risk for unintended pregnancy,” said Bill Albert, a spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. About half of the 5,000 girls interviewed were, unsurprisingly, using no birth control whatsoever when they got pregnant—these results aren't exactly earth-shattering, but the extent to which teens were just straight-up ignoring birth control was "surprising" and "sobering" to the researchers. The girls weren't asked to explain the reasoning behind their "why I'm exempt from pregnancy" mindset, but one thing has become very clear as a result of this study: sex ed is more important now than ever. [via Jezebel]