Government slams charity over ads
The Government has slammed a Family Planning Association (FPA) ad campaign which advocated the benefits of advance prescriptions of the morning-after pill.
FPA, a sexual health charity, launched a poster campaign earlier this month calling for women to be allowed to obtain emergency contraception in advance of having unprotected sex. The Department of Health (DoH) has criticised the campaign and says that it does not recommend routine prescribing of the morning-after pill.
A DoH spokeswoman says: “We find it a bit odd that the FPA should propose that women need to keep the morning-after pill stored in their cabinets. Emergency contraception is already widely available from pharmacies, contraceptive services, walk-in centres and GPs. Women are easily able to access this product should they need to.”
The campaign, created by Feel, uses the strapline: “You’ve got 72 hours to get hold of the morning-after pill.”
FPA chief executive Anne Weyman says: “Women may not always be able to get to a GP or clinic quickly, especially at weekends, so having these pills at hand can offer the best way to prevent an unplanned pregnancy.” Two years ago, the Church of England and anti-abortion campaigners protested against a morning-after pill advertising campaign – the first time the pill had been advertised in the UK (MW January 24, 2002).
