Are You Comfortable With the Message this Ad Sends?

NY DAILY NEWS REPORTS

The Bloomberg administration launched the ads Monday on subways and bus shelters. They feature grumpy-looking babies spouting dire messages about the consequences of teen pregnancy, such as “Dad, you’ll be paying to support me for the next 20 years,” and “Honestly mom … chances are he won’t stay with you. What happens to me?”

“The latest NYC ad campaign creates stigma, hostility and negative public opinions about teen pregnancy and parenthood rather than offering alternative aspirations for young people,” said Haydee Morales, vice president of Planned Parenthood of New York City.

“The city’s money would be better spent helping teens access health care, birth control and high-quality sexual and reproductive health education, not an ad campaign intended to create shock value.”

City officials say they’re doing all of the above — and have also caught flak in the past for giving out birth control and the morning-after pill at school clinics.

Mayor Bloomberg has been a major supporter of Planned Parenthood and last year gave $250,000 to the organization in the wake of the controversy surrounding the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s decision to cut off grants to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings.

But while the reproductive rights group praised his administration for expanding access to birth control, Morales said he’s off track with the ads.

“Teenage parenthood is simply not the disastrous and life-compromising event these ads portray,” Morales said.

Levine said officials “strongly disagree” with that claim. “Considering the amount of time, effort and money [Planned Parenthood puts] into preventing teen parenthood we doubt they actually believe that themselves,” she said.