Teenage Pregnancy Prevention

Media Campaign Spotlights Availability of Emergency Contraception Services

tattoo-faced adolescent with spiky hair sits down to dinner with his family. His father tastes a spoonful of soup, only to discover a piece of metal in his mouth. The youth apologizes cavalierly, reclaims his misplaced nose ring and inserts it back into place.

“Accidents happen,” an announcer states. “If a condom breaks, or you have unprotected sex, you have 72 hours to reduce your risk of getting pregnant. Got questions? Call Planned Parenthood.”

That scenario is included in a television spot that is part of an outreach and education campaign on the availability of emergency contraception (EC) and confidential family planning services for teens in Riverside County. TCWF made a two-year, $100,000 grant towards the effort to Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties (PPSDRC).

“It has been well-documented that combining outreach education and subsidized family planning services decreases unplanned pregnancies,” said Keith Limberg, PPSDRC’s vice president of development. “While educational outreach can be useful, it must be recognized that many people can be reached with a message through electronic media.”

Pregnancy and birthrates among Riverside County teens are some of the highest in the nation. Even with Planned Parenthood clinics in Riverside and Rancho Mirage, many young people were not receiving reproductive health services.

“It was also deemed wise to feature EC in advertising because there remains a general lack of public awareness of this option,” Limberg said.

Emergency contraception is a strong dose of regular birth control pills that should be taken within 72 hours after intercourse to prevent pregnancy. Three different formulations are available.

Working with advertising firm Benenson Janson, Planned Parenthood crafted ads designed to resonate with the young age of the target audience: low-income women ages 16-24. Some ads, like the “Accidents Happen” example, use actors to represent the target audience. Other spots feature popular musicians and performers such as Cristina Ricci, Father MC, The Roots and Joan Osbourne. The TV and radio ads run in both English and Spanish and include a toll-free telephone number for Riverside residents to obtain referrals to Planned Parenthood’s family planning services.

The media campaign appears to have successfully reached its young target audience. The number of youth accessing PPSDRC’s emergency contraception and reproductive health services has increased from 164 clients per month to 631 since the ads began circulating.

“Widespread use of emergency contraception prevents unintended pregnancies,” said Pauline Daniels, former TCWF program director for the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention priority area. “The significance of Planned Parenthood’s work is that more teens and young adults in their area will know about and have access to EC, as well as an opportunity to engage in a regular form of birth control.”

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