Bristol Palin advocates abstinence in new public service announcement against teen pregnancy

The Pause Before You Play PSA and Bristol Palin’s interview

The most famous teen mother in the United States has some advice for young girls: ‘Pregnancy can wait.’ Bristol Palin, the 19-year-old daughter of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, is now promoting abstinence for the Candie Foundation.

Bristol Palin, who gave birth to her son Tripp in December 2008, stars in a new public service announcement – Pause Before you Play – for the foundation, an off-shoot of the clothing brand that promotes awareness of teen pregnancy.

Watching the Pause Before You Play, however, we do not see anything to indicate anything that is specifically about abstinence – something which Bristol Palin admittedly did not practice. The PSA’s title ‘Pause Before You Play’, and Bristol Palin’s words, seem to advocate contraception rather than abstinence! Not that it matters: Whether teens watch the ad and think that it is a good idea to practise contraception, or choose to stay way from sex altogether, the ad serves its purpose of communicating the problems with being a teen parent.

She was named an ambassador to the Candie foundation last year. The foundation’s mission is to shape the way young people in America think about teen pregnancy and parenthood.

Bristol Palin says she has chosen to practice abstinence, until marriage, adding that girls would think twice about having sex if they knew how difficult it is to be a mother.

She had once said that it was unrealistic to expect young people to abstain from sex. ow she tells The Associated Press that it seems realistic for her personally.

“I know it’s realistic to ask myself that, because I know I’m not going to until I’m married,” she said.
Bristol Palin says she was caught unawares and “wasn’t prepared at all” for the dramatic changes since she gave birth to Tripp. No one realises how tough it is till you have a screaming baby in your arms and have to stay up all night, she said.

She has often credited her family for helping her get through the tough time.

Levi Johnston, meanwhile, says he has no problem with the message that Bristol is sending out.  He’s unhappy that his son has been included in the public service announcement and complains that Bristol never told him about filming their son.

On the opening day of the 2008 Republican National Convention in September, it was announced that Bristol Palin, 17 at the time , was pregnant and was planning to marry Levi Johnston, her boyfriend and the father of her unborn child.

On December 27, 2008, Bristol Palin gave birth to her son. She and Johnston ended their engagement in March 2009.

Referring to the message, Levi says having a baby is tough when you’re young, adding that he wouldn’t give it up for anything.

Numbers released recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that birth rates for teen mothers dropped 2 percent in 2008 after an increase from 2005 to 2007.

Palin hopes that she can help the decline continue.

The founder of the Candie Foundation, Neil Cole, says getting Bristol Palin on board to tackle the problem of teen pregnancy was a very good idea, thanks to her high-profile status and the resulting coverage she got.