***please feel free to distribute***

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy has launched a new
'Consequences of Sex' campaign that features sexually active young people
with scarlet letters written across their bodies that say CHEAP, DIRTY,
NOBODY, REJECT, USELESS, or PRICK.  Much smaller wording on the posters
realigns the context of the use of each word.  Look at the ads and judge for
yourself - then post your comments at:

http://www.teenpregnancy.org/teen/soundoff.html

********PLEASE********, email David Mariner a copy of the comments which you
post on their website.  [log in to unmask] .



Below, an article giving (one-sided) background info.  No author's name was
attached.



The latest assault on adolescents comes from the National Campaign to
Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Their new teen shame campaign consists of a series
of magazine ads featuring wayward appearing teens behind large red letters
spelling out CHEAP, DIRTY, NOBODY, REJECT, USELESS, or PRICK; with smaller
captions below stating "sex has consequences."  These ads are soon to appear
nationally in the leading teen magazines. The Campaign is so enthralled with
their new creations that they ask visitors to their website to vote for
their favorite teen putdown, and even provide instructions on how to set one
of these images as your computer desktop wallpaper.

What the developers of these teen attack ads must not realize is that in so
creatively competing for the attention of potentially sexually active teens
(not to mention reaping a lot of free publicity by the controversy sure to
result), they are broadcasting two false and pernicious messages.

To teens they are proclaiming SEX IS DIRTY. Forget the fact that becoming a
sexually healthy adult is a key developmental task of adolescence. Forget
that most teens are sexually responsible, in spite of the culture they
inhabit. Forget that teens are yearning for accurate and balanced
information and guidance on sexuality, which they largely do not get at
home, in school, nor from the media. Just remember, sex is dirty.

To adults they are proclaiming TEENS ARE DIRTY. Forget that our society
sends teens bewildering mixed messages of abstinence for everyone until
marriage combined with ubiquitous examples of casual sex without caring,
contraception, or consequences. Forget that we adults, holding the world's
strongest economy, tolerate the second highest relative-poverty rate for
children of all industrialized countries. And try also to forget that adult
women have a higher unwed birthrate than do teens and that most teen births
are fathered by adult men. Just know, teens are dirty.

While the rest of the field increasingly embraces a youth development
approach that values young people not as problems to be fixed but as vital
school and community resources, the Campaign takes a big step backwards with
their new strategy based on blame, shame, and flame.

There are healthier and more effective ways to send the message of high
expectations for responsible sexual behavior, and the complementary message
of respect for self and others. With its substantial resources, surely the
Campaign can do better.
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***FROM NURI:  Please note that I, personally as a graphic designer and as a
peer educator, I do not intend for the article to color your opinion one way
or the other.  If you like the design and the message that the proposed
advertisement posters exhibit, then, by all means, give it raving reviews.
I wish I were able to give you a second article to offer another position on
the ad campaign, but there currently are none.  The above prose was sent to
me from my editor, David Mariner from AdvocatesforYouth.org (a
not-for-profit, governmentally funded organization.
***UNFORTUNATELY, cross-postings *will* occur because many of you are on
more than one ListServ.  My apologies.  I know I'm going to get this back
myself, five-fold.