CLOSED: Tell FOX and CBS that Condom Ads Should Mention Preventing Pregnancy!

Yesterday's New York Times reported that two networks, FOX and CBS, refused to accept Trojan's new condom ad campaign because it explicitly mentions using the condoms to prevent pregnancy. FOX reportedly told Trojan that any ad campaign for contraception needed to put the focus on disease prevention. ABC reportedly told the company that the campaign was just inappropriate, even for their late night viewers.

Both networks ran Trojans previous campaign advertising condoms for HIV prevention.

Mark Crispin Miller, an NYU communications and media expert, is quoted in the Times article pointing out that lots of content on major networks is "salacious" and calles the decision by these two networks "hypocritical."

An email alert from Planned Parenthood Federation of America is more specific:

In 2005, 70 percent of all television shows and 77 percent of prime-time shows contained sexual content. FOX and CBS shows are no exception. From Temptation Island to Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show to The O.C. — a show that broadcasts an average of 6.7 sex scenes an hour — FOX and CBS have taken sex all the way to the bank.

Condom use in the US is not nearly as common as it needs to be. We need strong marketing campaigns that address both the pregnancy prevention and the disease prevention benefits of condom use. This is especially so since so many teenagers are exposed to sex education classes that give them misinformation about the effectiveness of condoms.

CLICK HERE to send a "Prevention First" email from PPFA, telling the CEOs of FOX and CBS that you think their rejection of the Trojan ads is wrong. Then,use the "SPEAK OUT!" media link on the left hand side bar to write a letter to the editor of your local paper -- or of the Times -- to help spread the word.