Arizona Lawmaker Unhappy With State's New Condom Ad Campaign
by Mary Rettig
September 22, 2005
(AgapePress) - An Arizona state representative is protesting the State Health Department's rescinding of an abstinence-only ad campaign for teenagers. Now, according to Representative Mark Anderson, instead of funding the abstinence-only ads, the Arizona Department of Health is now using lottery profits to start a TV campaign promoting condom use. Anderson feels there is a problem with the message of the new campaign, however. "It is a mixed message that you're providing to young people," he observes, "in that you're saying, 'Well, theoretically we believe in abstinence, but we don't really expect you to be [abstinent], and therefore, we would prefer that you use protection and condoms are a good thing to use.'"
That message is counterproductive, the Arizona legislator says, "because if you offer kids an inconsistent message, they are very smart, and they understand what you're really trying to communicate to them." And not only is the message mixed, he adds, but it also undermines the years of abstinence-only sex education in schools, which the state is still funding.
According to Anderson, the Arizona Department of Health has defended its move by saying the advertisements are going to areas that already have high teen pregnancy rates. But the lawmaker is not convinced and doubts the Health Department's logic. He says, "You could compare it to saying, 'Well, there's going to be a certain percentage of kids that are going to take drugs, so we'll say don't take drugs -- but if you're going to, at least use a clean needle.' Or something like that. I don't know that that would be very well received."
Anderson says the Arizona State Legislature will likely deal with the condom ad campaign in their next session. He notes that the changes -- rescinding the abstinence-only ads and initiating the condom promotion campaign -- were made by Governor Janet Napolitano's office without consulting the state legislators.
Mary Rettig, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
