Bristol Palin's Recent Comments On Teen Pregnancy Create 'Mixed Message For Impressionable Minds,' Opinion Piece Says

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 11 May 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Bristol Palin "was genuinely trying to warn teen parents away from the travails of early parenthood by talking with" NBC "Today Show" host Matt Lauer "about the late-night feedings and diaper changes," but the appearance was "certainly a mixed message for impressionable minds," Philadelphia Daily News columnist Jenice Armstrong writes in an opinion piece. Bristol Palin, daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), gave birth in December 2008 after an unintended pregnancy, and she appeared with her baby on the show Wednesday to talk about teen pregnancy. According to Armstrong, "the unspoken message was, 'See this adorable baby? You get it by having unprotected sex the way I did with [father] Levi Johnston. And everything turned out OK.'" While "those words didn't come out of her mouth, ... that could very well be kids' takeaway message," Armstrong writes, adding that is what "troubles me about Bristol's high profile media tour."

Bristol Palin also recently was appointed as the Candie's Foundation's new teen ambassador and appeared at a town hall sponsored by the foundation for National Teen Pregnancy Awareness Day. Armstrong adds, "On the one hand, you have Bristol, the new anti-teen mom role model, discussing her regrets about becoming an early parent. But she looked none the worse for the experience." In addition, "Bristol's 'do-as-I-say, not-as-I-did' message is confusing -- not to mention ineffective," Armstrong writes. She notes, "At least this time around, Bristol's talking up abstinence instead of dismissing it as 'unrealistic' as she did in a Fox interview earlier this year," adding that Johnston also "praised abstinence" in a recent interview on CBS. Johnston in the interview said, "But I also think you need to enforce ... condoms and birth control and other things like that to have safe sex," adding, "I don't just think telling young kids, 'You can't have sex,' ... it's not going to work." Armstrong concludes, "Both Johnston and Bristol are living proof of that" (Armstrong, Philadelphia Daily News, 5/7).

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