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Old and busted: TV commercials for condoms. New hotness: TV commercials for abortions
So as reported by the Daily Mail, there are some new adverts for abortions that are going to be airing on prime time tv.
"'Are you late?' a young girl is asked in the advert, as she stares morosely out of a coffee shop window. A student and a young mother-of-two are also featured in the month-long campaign, which is being run by the Marie Stopes International charity. It carries out 65,000 terminations a year in British clinics, mostly on behalf of the NHS. "
So what do you all think? Whether or not you are a lifer or choicer, how do you feel about it being advertised on tv?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by dhpotter on -
I don't really think that is something that should be advertised. I feel like it's inappropriate... If they advertise that option, why not a young pregnant girl walking into an adoption agency? Does this even need to be advertised? I mean, pretty much everyone who has had a pregnancy scare (or a real pregnancy for that matter) has considered it. Does it need to be advertised? I don't really think so.
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Permalink Reply by Oats on -
I wasn't under the impression that abortion clinics were hurting for money.
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Permalink Reply by Jeffrey on -
The advertisement isn't for an abortion clinic it is for a charity that provides information on abortions, vasectemies and sexual health all over the world.
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Permalink Reply by Oats on
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I have a marketing idea for them. Get a red circle with the slash through it... and put the Pope's face in the middle.
No really, I think it's important information for people to know about. Because not everyone listens to the pope. And contraception, abortions, vasectomies, etc. are important things to consider when in that situation.
Anyway, we have to endure the stupid PETA campaigns and ads, why not a charity for sexual health?
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Permalink Reply by Mindy on -
I agree. Really, a lot of people in that situation might not really know what to do next so these ads could be quite helpful.
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Permalink Reply by Shayna on -
Abortion clinics are cut out of so many federal and state funding opportunities - you want to help women? Contribute to Planned Parenthood or another organization that helps women take control of their lives!
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Permalink Reply by Jeffrey on
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I kind of understand, since the foundation is a charity, the desire to advertise their services so that, should someone need help, they know of an option. Really, it isn't that different than any non-profit organization advertising their services. To be completely thorough, I would have to see the advertisement before I decide to say whether it is appropriate or not. But in the end regardless of what service it is they provide, the concept is no different than a church, animal shelter or other charity advertising themselves.
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Permalink Reply by Jpeazy on -
Yeah, apparently the advert never actually uses the word "abortion". It just makes it quite clear what the service is for. I agree that its really not that different from the other charities. I'm forced to watch maimed kittens and skeletal dogs on tv commercials for the various shelters, potbellied and fly swarmed naked children for the various charities out there, and countless other food bank and give blood commercials.
I personally think that the meat of this issue is however, that those commercials promote their interests, and therefore a commercial on abortion when lumped into this catagory must do the same. Not in a "Hey, abortion is awsome come get one" kind of way, just in a "It's okay to do this and come meet some people who will tell you why and how to do it" kind of way. Whether or not it's "wrong" or "right", it still kinda gets me.
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Permalink Reply by Jeffrey on
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Why does it get you?
Not trying to start anything, just genuinely interested.
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Permalink Reply by Jpeazy on
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It sits bad with me because I don't like the idea of this sort of thing being advertised this way. It just feels like such a personal experience and having it in such a forum seems wrong. Maybe if it was aimed towards post-abortion counseling, it wouldn't seem so bad to me. IDK, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth because I do kind of feel like it's a slight promotion. I'm sure the heart of it is to educate people of their options (I haven't seen it), but I don't feel like a tv commercial is the right medium for such education.
Sex and consequences while hand in hand should be discussed in a better forum and seperatly...I feel like that doesnt make sense... What I mean is that sex is beautiful and wonderful and delightful, and just like I don't care for Valtrex commercials (herpes medecine), I'm not interested in know what cure there is for my accidental pregnancy in a 30 sec spot either. I hope that makes sense...
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Permalink Reply by Sarah on -
You might not be interested in knowing where you can secure a safe abortion, but a pregnant young woman or girl who may have grown up in a staunchly anti-choice household and school system might be extremely glad to have this information provided to her. She might have no other way of learning about all of her options.
Here's what the press release on the clinic's website had to say: "The ground breaking commercial was created by Marie Stopes International after independent research showed that only 42%1 of UK adults stated that they would know where to go for specialist advice (other than going to their GP) if they or their partner were faced with an unplanned pregnancy. The survey also showed that over three quarters of UK adults (76%)2 agree that commercials about unplanned pregnancy advice services should be allowed on TV within appropriate broadcasting times.
Despite the fact that one in three women will have an abortion in their lifetime3, the subject is still not always openly, or honestly, discussed. While there is a lot of information about abortion available unfortunately not all of it is accurate or impartial. Marie Stopes International works to improve public understanding of unplanned pregnancy and abortion, and to help women make confident, informed sexual health choices."
Makes sense to me.
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Permalink Reply by Juliana on -
very very interesting. mm.. well, i think of a few things first:
in the US we have commercials funded by pro-life organizations that emphasize "the miracle of life" and how "a child is a blessing." - messages that gently encourage women to strongly consider giving birth.
we also have, at least in massachusetts, print ads on public transportation for counseling agencies that help women understand their options (adoption, welfare, life coaching, whatever else) should they choose to give birth. one ad, as i remember it, has the picture of a young man with hands on his face, thinking, "i wish i'd known better - i wish i'd helped her. i had no idea abortion would change her so much," or something along those lines. [do similar ads also run in the UK?]
so immediately i tend to think, if there's advertising funded by anti-abortion groups, encouraging girls/women/prospective dads to visit their website, or their counseling center, it is only fair that the same be allowed for pro-abortion institutions-funded ads. after all, abortion is legal. [according to a rep from the non-profit running the ad in question, the ad isn't a "have an abortion here" type message - it simply advertises their unplanned pregnancy counseling services - quick excerpt on youtube. we'll have to see it first, as jeffrey pointed out, to opine.]
yet, to me, this is not satisfactory. a girl/woman with an unplanned pregnancy is VERY CONFUSED. it's a HUGE decision that she needs to make and on top of that, her hormone levels are all over the place and that oftentimes plays an adverse role in effective decision-making. not to mention that in many cases, she doesn't feel comfortable discussing the matter with people whose opinion she may value, and so she doesn't get the benefit of having a genuine discussion, clearing her thoughts, and coming confidently to a decision.
it's a delicate matter with significant repercussions for the woman, the child, should it be born, society and the economy.
if all women with unplanned pregnancies gave birth, we'd be in deep shit. from an economic standpoint, as well as societal - there'd be a ton more people growing up without proper care, love, etc. the government would have a lot more mouths to feed and bodies needing health care.
on the other hand, women having multiple abortions without much thought or consequence, probably isn't a good thing either. i say this not because of the whole "killing a life" thing - i don't believe in that. i simply think it's a very distressful process for the body to undergo, and in the long-run, it's gotta be bad for her physical and emotional health.
ultimately, i think unplanned pregnancies should be more thoroughly and openly discussed in schools; that's what health class is for. i think hospitals and university centers (public ones, at least) should be well equipped to give a woman ALL options, without trying to persuade her one way or another. the more people tiptoe around the issue or the more taboo it is, the more power is given to organizations with political/religious/profit agendas to "educate" people on their choices.
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