Thursday 7 October 2010

Help us protect children against TV condom adverts

SPUC is taking up the fight against TV condom adverts targeted at children, to protect all children and promote a culture of life.

Your children or grandchildren are being targeted. These are the dangers they face:
  • Showing condom advertisements at times when most children watch TV is priming them for teenage sex. This is wrong and harmful.
  • Condom campaigns don’t protect teenagers. Promoting condoms over the past 20 years has proved to be ineffective in reducing abortion, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV among teens.
  • We have shamefully high rates of teenage STIs and abortions, leaving our children with long-term physical and mental health problems. For example, the rate of chlamydia, which can cause infertility in girls, doubled among 16–19 year olds between 2000 and 2008.
  • Condoms create a false sense of security among teenagers. Studies show that greater access to contraceptives and abortion leads to increased risk-taking behaviour among some teenagers.
  • Children watch TV. They talk about TV. They copy behaviour on TV. They want what’s on TV. Please support our campaign to stop TV condom adverts.
Please:
  • order copies of SPUC's new flyer "Protect children against condom TV adverts" (sample image) The flyer's reverse side contains a mini-petition, as well as suggestions for other ways to support SPUC's campaign.
  • order copies of our full-length petition to Ofcom, the official regulator for broadcast advertising (sample image)
  • read (and order copies of) SPUC's briefing on condom TV adverts. Among other things, this will help you write to your MP about the issue.
You can order this material by contacting SPUC:
  • by email to orders@spuc.org.uk
  • by telephone to (020) 7091 7091
  • by post to SPUC HQ, 3 Whitacre Mews, Stannary Street, London, SE11 4AB.
Can you promote the petition in local churches, or on the high street, or door to door? If you would like the help of other SPUC supporters in your area to do this, please let us know where you live, and we will put you in touch with others.

Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk
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