In a new teen pregnancy prevention campaign launched in Chicago, ads feature shocking images of pregnant boys and not girls in an attempt to remind adolescent boys that they are just as equally affected by a teen pregnancy. According to the Daily Mail a similar campaign was done in Milwaukee and has been credited with lowering the rate of teen pregnancies.
Images released by the Chicago Department of Public Health said it "chose the unusual images because it wanted to impress upon young males that teen pregnancy is not just the girl's responsibility," the Daily Mail reports. The ads can be spotted in the city on buses, trains and billboards.
In a press release Dr. Bechara Choucair, CDPH Commissioner said they hope the ads will educate people in turn lowering the number of teen pregnancies.
"Improving the health ahd well-being of our youth is a key component in our comprehensive effort to make Chicago the healthiest city in the nation," the press release said. "These ads work to increase education and awareness which will in turn help reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in Chicago."
Teen pregnancy ads seem to pushing the limits a lot lately. In New York a campaign designed to raise awareness about teen pregnancy came under fire for "slut-shaming." On March 3 the advertisements were spotted in subway stations and on the sides of bus shelters. The images showed toddlers next to messages like "Honestly, Mom... Chances are he won't stay with you" and "I'm twice as likely not to graduate high school because you had me as a teen."
According to the Daily Mail a lot of people felt the ads used ridicule and threats to "promote the difficulties of teen pregnancy." They felt the ads should be geared towards offering help and education.
"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," Haydee Morales, Vice President of Education and Training told the website.
Laura Beck, an editor at Jezebel, was particularly disgusted with the ads saying that they were a "shortsighted outreach."
"Way to attempt to make every teen mom/person with a teen mom feel like utter shit when they ride the subway, NYC!" she wrote. "Shaming people isn't a pregnancy prevention tool. Education, assistance, and condoms are, but misguided subway ads aren't. There are so many wonderful teen moms, and this is basically a middle finger to them."
A spokesman for the HRA told the Daily Mail that the purpose of the ads were to "highlight the challenges facing teen parents - hurdles such as raising a child before they are emotionally ready of financially secure."
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