Pregnant Boys PSA: Will It Lower Teen Pregnancy Rates?

Once in a while, we see a public service announcement (PSA) campaign that grabs our attention. One recent example is Melbourne Metro Trains’ “Dumb Ways to Die” video, which has garnered almost 50 million views on YouTube since its release in November of last year.

Chicago’s Department of Health is striving to emulate such success with their teen pregnancy PSA that utilizes pregnant boys to send their message. That’s right, pregnant boys.

Chicago has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the nation. Although the city’s teen pregnancy rates have dropped by 33% last year, they still remain 150% higher than the national average. Due to these factors, who can blame them for taking such an unconventional approach?

This PSA is not just some random experiment. One Milwaukee, Milwaukee’s initiative to reduce gun violence and teen pregnancy, were the first to utilize the photos of pregnant boys to attain their goals. The significant dropping of the city’s teen pregnancy rates is largely credited to their PSA.

These PSAs will be placed on buses, trains, and billboards in Chicago. They are sure to make people do a double take but only time will tell if they will effectively lower teen pregnancy rates. However, this is not the only initiative taken by the city. Within two years, sex education will be available for Chicago kindergartners as well as older children. Although many may find it inappropriate for young children to learn about sex, abstinence-only education has been proven to be faulty at preventing teen pregnancy.

Share your thoughts about Chicago’s recent PSA.

For more interesting stories, follow me on Twitter @CalebPeng