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26 / 03 / 2009 - Abortion ads on television
In response to the news report that condom manufacturers and abortion clinics are to be allowed to advertise on television in a bid to cut to combat teenage pregnancy, director of Precious Life, Bernadette Smyth said,
“This is outrageous. Abortion does not reduce teenage pregnancies. It kills pregnant teenagers’ unborn children.”
“And bombarding children with advertisements about condoms will do nothing to stop teenage pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Brainwashing children with the lie that sex is safe just by using a condom will in fact only fuel the problem rather than provide a solution.”
“A 1999 study in Family Planning Perspectives revealed that in real-life trials designed to measure condom failure, rates varied from 0.5 to 6.7% for breakage, and 0.1 to 16.6% for slippage. Obviously, if a condom slips or breaks it offers no protection.”
“Condoms provide little protection against many STDs. These diseases are frequently passed through ‘skin to skin’ contact. Even when a condom is used the bacterial or viral germs that cause many serious STDs can infect anywhere in the genital area of males or females. These diseases can still be spread because condoms don’t cover or protect all areas of the genital region.”
The proposals to allow advertising of abortion and condoms to children came in response to a request from the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health (IAG) - set up by the Government in 2003.
Bernadette Smyth added “This IAG ‘quango’ is packed with supporters of abortion and does not contain a single representative from groups who support traditional family values.”
“The Labour government has already spent over £300 million trying to reduce teenage pregnancy by promoting so-called “safe-sex”. But their promotion of condoms, contraceptive pills, the morning-after-pill, and various other steps taken to promote so-called ‘safe sex’, have all been counter-productive and are a complete failure. All they have succeeded in doing is lowering the age that children become sexually active, increasing the rate of teenage pregnancies and increasing the rate of sexually transmitted diseases.”
Bernadette Smyth concluded “Our young people deserve better than these failed ‘safe-sex’ programmes. The high rates of teenage pregnancy, abortion, and sexually transmitted diseases are now at ‘epidemic’ levels. As the government’s failure of the ‘safe-sex’ message is now plain to see, it’s time to promote and encourage abstinence and the ‘saved-sex’ message - saving sex for marriage - as a credible alternative."
This is the only real solution to the problem. The evidence from abstinence programmes in other countries like USA shows it’s the only safe and effective strategy to reduce teenage pregnancies, abortions, and STDs. This has to be the way forward in Ireland and the UK . Our young people need to be warned of the dangers and health risks of casual sex and contraception, and be encouraged to abstain from sex until marriage. Young people need to be taught that abstinence is always the best choice. It isn’t always easy, but it always works!”
“This is outrageous. Abortion does not reduce teenage pregnancies. It kills pregnant teenagers’ unborn children.”
“And bombarding children with advertisements about condoms will do nothing to stop teenage pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Brainwashing children with the lie that sex is safe just by using a condom will in fact only fuel the problem rather than provide a solution.”
“A 1999 study in Family Planning Perspectives revealed that in real-life trials designed to measure condom failure, rates varied from 0.5 to 6.7% for breakage, and 0.1 to 16.6% for slippage. Obviously, if a condom slips or breaks it offers no protection.”
“Condoms provide little protection against many STDs. These diseases are frequently passed through ‘skin to skin’ contact. Even when a condom is used the bacterial or viral germs that cause many serious STDs can infect anywhere in the genital area of males or females. These diseases can still be spread because condoms don’t cover or protect all areas of the genital region.”
The proposals to allow advertising of abortion and condoms to children came in response to a request from the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health (IAG) - set up by the Government in 2003.
Bernadette Smyth added “This IAG ‘quango’ is packed with supporters of abortion and does not contain a single representative from groups who support traditional family values.”
“The Labour government has already spent over £300 million trying to reduce teenage pregnancy by promoting so-called “safe-sex”. But their promotion of condoms, contraceptive pills, the morning-after-pill, and various other steps taken to promote so-called ‘safe sex’, have all been counter-productive and are a complete failure. All they have succeeded in doing is lowering the age that children become sexually active, increasing the rate of teenage pregnancies and increasing the rate of sexually transmitted diseases.”
Bernadette Smyth concluded “Our young people deserve better than these failed ‘safe-sex’ programmes. The high rates of teenage pregnancy, abortion, and sexually transmitted diseases are now at ‘epidemic’ levels. As the government’s failure of the ‘safe-sex’ message is now plain to see, it’s time to promote and encourage abstinence and the ‘saved-sex’ message - saving sex for marriage - as a credible alternative."
This is the only real solution to the problem. The evidence from abstinence programmes in other countries like USA shows it’s the only safe and effective strategy to reduce teenage pregnancies, abortions, and STDs. This has to be the way forward in Ireland and the UK . Our young people need to be warned of the dangers and health risks of casual sex and contraception, and be encouraged to abstain from sex until marriage. Young people need to be taught that abstinence is always the best choice. It isn’t always easy, but it always works!”
STOP ABORTION AND CONDOM ADVERTISMENTS ON CHILDREN'S TV
The Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practise (BCAP) is asking for responses to the proposal that would allow adverts for abortion clinics, and for condoms, to be screened during breaks in programmes for children aged ten or over.
Abortion Advertisements
The proposal that would allow abortion agencies to advertise on TV is contained in Question 62 (i) on BCAP’s consultation paper, which asks it is necessary to have a specific rule on such “services”
Contact the BCAP and tell them your answer to Question 62 (i) is “Yes”; it is necessary for a specific rule on advertising abortion agencies; and that the specific rule SHOULD NOT allow abortion agencies to advertise on television. Use your own words to explain why, or you may use some of the points of concern raised in our press statement above. If you live in Northern Ireland you should state that abortion is illegal here, and therefore any such advertisements would also be illegal in Northern Ireland.
Condom Advertisements
The current rules state that the broadcasting of condom adverts are restricted to after 9pm (although Channel 4 can show them after 7pm). The new proposal (Question 147 on BCAP’s consultation paper) would allow condoms to be advertised on TV at any time, with the only restriction being except during programmes aimed at children aged under 10. So this means they could be broadcast during programmes aimed at children aged over 10.
Contact the BCAP and tell them your answer to Question 147 is “No”; and that the rules for television advertisements for condoms SHOULD NOT be relaxed. Again, you can use your own words to explain why, or you may use some of the points of concern raised in our press statement above.
You can email your response to the BCAP at BCAPcodereview@cap.org.uk
The BCAP say they prefer to receive responses as e-mail attachments, in Microsoft Word format.
They also ask you to attach a cover sheet which can be downloaded HERE