While these ads may have the right intent, which is to educate teens about pregnancy, I'm not sure they will actually work. What we need to provide teens with is information about the risks of pregnancy and its consequences and it's just impossible to get that from a poster. Sex is such a taboo subject that kids feel uncomfortable bringing it up and may make mistakes - a mistake that could affect them for the rest of their life. It's time to lay off the scare-tactics when it comes to sex; we should be able to do a better job educating our children than the movie and television industry does.

The City launched a new campaign this week to prevent teen pregnancies, posting what it calls "dynamic" and "hard-hitting" ads at subway stations and bus stops around town. The ads feature young children with quotes like, "Honestly Mom... chances are he won’t stay with you. What happens to me?" and "Dad, you’ll be paying to support me for the next 20 years."

Planned Parenthood is among those criticizing the tone of the ads, but Mayor Bloomberg said today, "In the days of so much media hitting everyone you have to stand out and do something dramatic." The Department of Health reports there are more than 20,000 teen pregnancies annually in New York City, and 87% of them are unintended and involve unmarried partners.

What's your reaction to this advertising campaign? You can see it on www.nyc.gov. Do you welcome this effort to reduce teen pregnancies? Will this be effective? If not, what will?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

It sounds more like the mayor is condoning abortion than trying to prevent teen pregnancy...

Tina
Brooklyn

I don't have a problem with the ads at all. People have plenty of time to stand at bus stops and subway platforms and they might reflect upon this topic. This topic impacts the futures of children. While sugary drinks are not good for people and neither is smoking I think that children who have no say in being born deserve, at the very least, a forethought before teens and young adults act irresposibly.

Kathy
Throggs Neck

Why is this not being taken care of in the home by the parents or guardians?
This phony mayor has made it very comfortable with all of these entitlements like a nursery and day care centers that are run by his rule and law. So now he resorts to these films.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Cathy Black say something about this very subject when asked a question about this problem and everyone got all in an uproar about it.
Thus they made her life miserable and she lost her job because everyone was insulted by her answer. So at that point if they didn't approve of her answer then why didn't they take charged and keep it in there own homes and not have it discussed out in the open.

ONCE AGAIN WE HAVE THE DICTATOR MINDING OTHER PEOPLES BUSINESS!!
He acts like he is doing a favor and trying to make everyone feel that he is so concerned and so he does the same thing again and again he threatens to shut down centerz, programs of every kind etc. and in the end all he is doing is giving with one hand and then taking back with the other.

He enjoys playing with our feelings which he doesn't seen to have.

Maxxiee
Morris Park

What business is it of Hugo Bloomberg-Chavez and his hack Health Commissioner what people do with their bodies? Since the focus is on teens isn't their behavior exclusively in the hands of their parents?

Joe
Port Richmond

Really where does that man live?

In this city (country) teens get pregnant the father doesn't support them and the girl goes on the system ,food stamps ,housing ,medical Plus all the benefits they get free Well not free taken Out of everyone's taxes Where is my health care? My housing ?

Jim
Washington Heights

THE MAYOR NEEDS TO BE MORE RESPECTFUL OF THE FAMILY UNIT AND THE PREVENTION PROGRAM WILL FAIL. THERE ARE PROGRAMS CURRENTLY IN PLACE THAT ENCOURAGE THESE YOUNG PEOPLE TO HAVE PREMATURE UNPROTECTED SEXUAL RELATIONS.

Carmelita
Harlem

I agree with the ads. If these girls believe they are mature enough to have a kid then they are nature to not get offended by reality. These ads are only giving them a reality check. Bringing a kid into a broken family is unfair and immature.

Anonymous
Manhattan

Teen pregnancy cannot be prevented by senseless adds like that. There was a time when teen pregnancy was the norm. There is no way to prevent teen pregnancy. You can only encourage safe sex.

Samantha

I believe that the message and the intent are good, however the reality is those PSA's will get ridiculed my markers just like the movie advertisings. The message needs to be driven home by teen idols and celebs who overcame teenaged pregnancy and how hard it was. As a teacher I can tell you that teens won't look up from their phones and IPODS long enough to read anything.

Mike

If this message stops the rate of unwanted children from being born, there's no harm is raising awareness about teenage pregnancy. No teenager is prepared for this responsibility that will forever change the course of their lives.

Melanie
Park Slope

The intent behind the campaign is understandable, but the execution is despicable. Most of these displays are extremely sexist. Why are we perpetuating stereotypes by addressing "dad" as the child support payer and "mom" as the parent who gets dumped? Couldn't the roles be reversed in at least one of these displays? Speaker Quinn is spot-on in her analysis.

Nicole

Tell pregnancy is the symptom of the larger problem. Teens and young adults do not have a respect for sex. Better advertisements and sex ed about the risks of STDs, how common they are, 25% of people have herpes, 50% have genital warts, yet no friends talk about it and few people have symptoms or know. Also they are a reason why health care costs are so high, it is not cheap to treat STDs.

Jessica
Bayside

The city's new campaign is negative towards teen moms, it sends a message that teen moms are not successful.

Joseph
Queens

New Yorkers need to wake up and see that Bloomberg's so-called health initiatives are not a result of him caring for our well being. This man is a financial magnate. He sees certain demographics of New Yorkers (obese people, teen parents, smokers, etc.) as potential financial burdens, he decides to "save" them from their vices and thereby save the taxpayers money. Why should city funds be wasted on an ad campaign to prevent pregnancy when fire houses are being closed and money is cut from education? The ads are condescending and I can't imagine how they would prevent teens from becoming parents. Teenagers know how pregnancy happens and how to prevent it. I agree with Gina Malone that there needs to be more honest discussion about sex, reproduction, and sexual health. However, these discussions should start at home, not at school or in public.

Janelle
Washington Heights

I was a teen mom that Graduated from at the time one of the worst high schools in NYC (Brandeis) and my daughter is now 14yrs old and a great student. I have an MSW and own a home and I am married to my Masters degree holding teen father. It's not good to use degrading ads geared towards teens.

Teen mom
Harlem

Two days ago some someone told me a terrible story. He was waiting at a bus stop and a twelve year girl talked about how she couldn't wait to have a child so that she could get her own place like her mother did. She also said this child would be her best friend.

Doris
Lower East Side

A message to the mayor: Find money for REAL health/sex education classes for our schools!

D.
Harlem

The problem with this, and other, slam-you-over-the-head-with-a-mallet ads from the Bloomberg administration, is that there is absolutely no concept or factoring in of human behavior and reactions.

The anti-smoking ads condemn a smoker to missing fingers and toes. What does it tell the smoker? That the damage is done and there's no hope and no way out.

Condemning a teen mother to not only have a horrible life, but to make them feel that their child is also condemned to a horrible life is despicable. It only makes teenagers feel like they are losers and hopeless and have made a choice that will make their lives wretched. Exactly how does that empower a person to go to school or bother getting a job or just feel good about themselves?

And this will also encourage people to glaring a teen mother for what she did, along with overweight people, smokers, cookie-eaters, and whatever new bug penetrates Bloomberg's......ear.

If they think that teenagers will consider these ads before they have sex, either they have a really bad memory of their own youth or were woefully unpopular.

Simone
Manhattan

The ads aren't strong enough and should be directed more to boys & young men who live in a machismo culture that pressures young women to take the risk for love, then bear most of the responsibility.

Steven
Jamaica

Most viewers are missing the benefit and strength of the ads - the ads promote focus on the harm that impacts the babies. Society and the State must care about the children because the teen moms do not. It is unfair to a child who should be empowered. Instead stats show the children will be exploited and remain in poverty with insufficient education.