‘Sexist’ NHS ad that asks teen girls: Would you give up lipstick for a baby?
THE NHS has been accused of sexism over an advert for emergency contraception asking women if they are prepared to give up high heels and lipstick for a baby.
Kirstie Jones, 29, was stunned when she saw the poster on a bus as she travelled to work, calling it ‘irresponsible’ and that it put too much emphasis on appearance.
The eye-catching advert showed a high heel and a lipstick and asks, ‘Would you give up this?’ followed by ‘For this?’ next to a pink dummy.
It told women they could get free emergency contraception up to five days after unprotected sex by either calling or texting given numbers.
Mrs Jones, a social media manager from Stourbridge, West Midlands, said: ‘I was gobsmacked when I saw the ad, I had to look at it again to make sure I’d read it correctly.
‘It suggests that if you accidentally become pregnant, you have to leave the lipsticks and heels behind. It’s sexist because it doesn’t understand women, it implies if you are a mother you have to give up certain things.
‘My sister has a small child so I’m fully aware of the sacrifices that mums do need to make when they have a
‘It shouldn’t matter what you look like’
baby. This poster implies they have to give up those things in order to have a child.
‘It doesn’t matter what you look like, what lipstick or shoes you wear when you have a baby. It’s irresponsible.’
Mrs Jones said she initially thought she must have misread the poster, but looked at it again as she got off the National Express bus and took a photograph on her phone.
She said she was also stunned that the poster had made it to the final stage without someone flagging up the ‘misguided’ content.
‘They had the opportunity to put some humour into this campaign and speak to their audience that way – perhaps with a picture representing an ex or a one-night stand – instead they risk causing offence,’ she said.
‘The fact that it went through so many people before being displayed is another thing that made me so mad.
‘The person who designed it, signed it off, printed it and distributed it – did nobody stop and think, “Are we really going ahead with this?”’
The poster was featured on 45 buses that covered the Walsall area during an NHS campaign for Walsall Inte- grated Sexual Health Services which ended on September 2.
Nicola Wenlock, the divisional director of midwifery, gynaecology and sexual health for Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, said: ‘In creating this particular advertising campaign, Walsall Integrated Sexual Health worked hard to understand the teenage pregnancy audience to make sure that the communication was relevant, effective and focused.
‘We apologise if this particular advertisement has raised a concern, the intent was to raise awareness of emergency contraception and advice available for those in this age group who wish to avoid unwanted pregnancies.’
She added: ‘The campaign has played an important role in tackling teenage pregnancy and poor sexual health in our local area which has been reducing steadily year on year.
‘We will continue to work closely with all audiences to ensure we offer the best possible services for them and will continue to review all materials closely for future campaigns.’