COPH takes role in anti-teen pregnancy campaign

The College of Public Health’s Renaisa Anthony, M.D., spoke last week at the Adolescent Health Project announcement of its new teen pregnancy prevention campaign.

A poster from the campaign

The Adolescent Health Project, an initiative of the Women’s Fund of Omaha, and Serve Marketing have partnered to launch the “Think Your Teen Life Won’t Change?” campaign at a kickoff event June 14.

Dr. Anthony, who holds a master’s degree in public health and is deputy director of the Center for Reducing Health Disparities, spoke at the event on Nebraska teen pregnancy rates and health disparities.

“It’s time to talk about the real risk factor for both teen pregnancy and STIs (sexually transmitted infections). Sex — yes, I said it. Sex, sex, sex. We know that an estimated 50 percent of high school students have had sex by the 12th grade,” she said, citing a CDC study. “Teen pregnancy prevention is biologically simple but is a socially complex topic.

“Prevention is power and prevention is paramount! Preventing teen pregnancy happens in two ways: abstinence (no sex) and safe/safer sex. Condoms and contraceptives work but only when used properly and consistently.”

Melissa Tibbits, Ph.D., of the College of Public Health, is the lead researcher on the Adolescent Health Project. The project seeks to provide Omaha youth with access to resources and information needed to make informed decisions about their sexual health — decisions which could be life-changing.

To raise awareness of the realities of teen pregnancy, the Adolescent Health Project has partnered with Serve Marketing to launch the campaign with a series of evocative public service ads. The campaign features the imagery of teens participating in popular sports, all while carrying an infant in a baby
carrier.

Headlines on ads that depict teens slam-dunking a basketball, skateboarding and blocking a soccer goal read, “Think your teen life won’t change with a baby?” Ads then direct teens to the website, SexFactsOmaha.com, which offers resources to parents to help facilitate the conversation around sex and healthy sexual behavior.

The campaign is appearing on billboards, mall and restroom ads, digital channels and social media in Omaha. Additionally, there will be a TV commercial called “Kiss” that portrays a teenage girl “kissing goodbye” scenarios that would be impacted by being a teen parent, such as hanging out with friends and graduation.