My husband's family lives in Ireland, and when we go to visit I'm always amazed by the public service announcements. I remember one from many years ago that showed a group of laughing friends in a car. The announcer says gravely, "In a few seconds, John is going to hit Mary so hard, she'll never walk again." The car crashes, John's head slams into Mary's, bodies are everywhere, and it all ends with John dead, Mary in a wheelchair, and an urging to "Please slow down." Not very uplifting, is it? But it seems to work.
Now England is taking the same approach to teen pregnancies, with a video that hopes to show just how terrifying a teen pregnancy can be.
The video, designed to look as if it was shot on a student's cell phone, shows a girl giving birth on a sports field while dozens of classmates watch. It ends with the caption, "Not what you expected? Being a teenage parent might not be either."
Leicester Public Health officials produced the video to help combat the town's high incidence of teen pregnancies; one in 20 girls between the ages of 15 and 17 are pregnant.
According to Liz Rodrigo, a public health specialist in Leicester, teens came up with the idea for the video, and suggested that a funny or shocking message rather than a "preachy" one would be more effective.
Well, they certainly succeeded on the shocking front. Watch the video below and judge for yourself. Do you think it's effective? Or does it go too far?
The video is graphic (and loud) and not appropriate for kids (or offices).
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