Bristol Palin Pitches Abstinence On "Good Morning America," Levi Johnston Calls It "Not Realistic" (VIDEO)

Bristol Palin, daughter of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, went on "Good Morning America" to launch her new pastime as an ambassador for abstinence.

Anchor Christopher Cuomo pointed out that Palin's own personal history went against her abstinence-only message for teens. (Palin, 18, recently had a baby with former boyfriend Levi Johnston.) She became pregnant after she and Levi failed to use protection (something Johnston admitted on the "Tyra" show.)

Palin was less forthcoming on this issue than her ex. "Regardless of what I did personally, I just think that abstinence is the only way you can effectively, 100% foolproof way you can prevent pregnancy," she responded. Asked how she squared her own experiences with her new campaign, she added, "I'm not quite sure, I just want to go out there and promote abstinence and say, this is the safest choice. This is the choice that's going to prevent teen pregnancy and prevent a lot of heartache."

Palin did say that if she could do it over, "I would have waited, waited to have sex." Later she added, "I think using this experience in my life to help others, I think it's a blessing. ... I'm relatable, I am a teen myself. I'm saying that there's one way to prevent it, and that's not having sex."

Of course, Palin made headlines in February when she declared that abstinence is "not realistic at all." Now she says the quote was "taken out of context. ... I do think it's realistic. It's the harder choice, but it's the safest choice."

A major study published last year found that premarital abstinence pledges among teens were ineffective and often counterproductive -- teens were just as likely to have sex but less likely to use condoms or other forms of birth control.

In a subsequent interview on CBS's Early Show, Levi Johnston called Bristol Palin's abstinence message a "great idea" but "not realistic." Watch video here.

Watch a few excerpts of Palin on GMA:

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Comments

[texasrodeoqueen]

What a great example for the Gang Of Pharisees! "Do as I say, not as I do!"

[Cye]

Bristol reminds me of the Republican Party: dogedly sticking to tired, outdated and ineffective policies that sound better in theory, but never work in practice.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with abstinence. It is absolutely true, as Bristol says, that it is the most effective method of preventing pregnancy. But its an ideal that in reality that only some teenagers will live up to. In an age and society obsessed with youth, beauty, sex and sexuality, its just not realistic to expect teenage kids to be 100% abstinent.

Abstinence should be taught in sex education programs in school, provided that these same programs also canvass contraceptive methods, sexual health and self-esteem.

[bellabeach]

The more they open their mouths, the more the bring out the hypocrisy!

[jebamoni4]

She has no job. Now she is the Ambassador for abstinence. Who is meeting
all the expences on travel. wardrobes etc? So also Joe, the plumber, he is out
of GOPand he is promoting anti-queer movement.. Fortunately, he has got one
dirty T-shirt to wear all his life. But who is paying for his travel? He has no gaineful
employment either. Is Rush paying for these expenses? Somebody should
probe in their expences.

[hilary916]

Does this mean she's going to start practicing abstinence now?

[liberalOrgonian]

A model republican family.
Repub say get government out of the way, yet meddle in a woman's uterus, by apposing abortion and wanting government regulation.
Say get government out of the way, but don't be gay.
Say get government out of the way, yet support war and torture.
Say get government out of the way, as long as you think like them.
Say get government out of the way, yet ask for government funding.
Say get government out of the way, yet ridged in their thinking.
Say get government out of the way, because they are real Americans.
The Conservative branch of the repub party shoves their beliefs at everyone else.
Using unpatriotic as a war cry.
The repug party is living a paradox, unable to be tolerant of any one beliefs that are different.

[spartangirl]

Bristle who are you to tell the whole world (teens) to stop having sex and if you haven't started then don't? When I last looked she wasnt saying that when her and her boyfriend were laid up in the bed having unprotected sex. That was their mistake. They should hvae been a little more responsible on their part and put on a condom. They could have even took it to another level and, what's his name...? Levi? Well Levi could have pulled out. The last time I checked males do get a sensation of when they are about to let loose( to put in clean terms).

If you didn't know Bristle.....theres something thats been out for some years called BIRTH CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!! DUH!!!

Now if you were talking about trying to promote safe sex by using birth control then hey, I would have been on your band wagon but noooooo you want to tell the people to stop having sex all together.

And Bristle, you make it seem like you hate being a mother or just that being a teen mom is the worse thing in the world. I know a few teen mothers who are doing worse than you and they never complain. They know since they laid and made the baby, they have to take care of it. So why are you complaining?

- I'm not knocking her for trying, but she should have thought this through a little bit harder before coming on national television.

[RachelMc]

huh? she sounds like all other teen mothers. do as i say and not as i do. u need to get out more they all say the same ish about their problems. and just cuz u aint here them "complain" even tho she was asked, dont mean they dont think the same as she does. if they dont and think their lives are easy, its cuz their probably not taking care of theirs which most teens are not. because legally its just no way for u to get a job at like 14.

[RachelMc]

isn't she back tracking? i thought she had once b4 came out and said that abstinence didn't work. hmmms

[Chi-townfool]

Taken out of context? I don't think she knows what context means, How can this statement mean anything other than she thinks abstinence is not realistic at all?

[Chi-townfool]

He had to admit ti not using protection? I think we figured that out a long tome ago

[hisociety]

I wouldn't mind taking advice about abstinence from a teen mother. But only IF she served as a warning. All we're hearing from the Palins is that while this is 'less than ideal', Bristol is doing great. She's happy, successful, and an ideal mother, has plenty of time on her hands to finish high school and go to college. She looks great. That's what takes away from her message.

If she telling stories about how hard it is to leave school, and what a challenge it will be to attend college or hold down a job - it would show that having a child requires sacrifice. If she said that she misses her friends and hated missing prom and wants to wander around the mall drinking a soda - it would speak in a teens language.

Right now, the message that she's sending is that it's great to be a teen mom.

[balrog221]

Liberal democrats like Obama.have created an environment wher innocent virgins like Bristol are tempted by agents of the devil like Levy. We will have a reckoning, god will punish those who allow such socialist activities. We must overcome. Abstinence is the only way.

Hey I have a question for all of the hypocrites out there... If we have a divorce rate 50%+, are all of those liberal? If not there must be a few "christians" who have had intercourse outside of matrimony.
Oh and by the wat Bristol your math is slightly off. I am sure you will tell us about the one abstainer who concieved...Mary. What a joke.

[ZoeyMO]

I'm sure you're being facetious, but since it may not be obvious and some people may believe the crap you have in the first paragraph, I feel that it is my duty to point out that liberal Democrats' kids are more likely to wait than evangelical Christians' kids. And they are MUCH more likely to use contraception. The rate of teen pregnancy in liberal Democrat circles is much lower than in evangelical Christian circles.

[balrog221]

thanks not surprised

[Chriskat]

Well, at least she's qualified to speak on the subject.

[Chip W]

God gave us the Ten Commandments to tell us how to live, but He left it up to us whether to obey them.

Perpetuating the species was too important, so He didn't make it a commandment, He made it an instinct.

[staticnoise]

What one says in public, and what one does behind closed doors, aren't always the same thing.