Twitter isn't happy about this "sexist" NHS ad
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- Anna Brech
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Sexual health is a tricky area to tackle - and some people on Twitter felt a recent NHS campaign fell short of the mark…
An NHS poster that promotes emergency contraception to young women has met with online anger over its “sexist” and “ludricuous” messaging.
The image, appearing on buses in the Midlands area, shows a pair of heels and a lipstick next to a pink dummy with the slogan, “would you give up this for this?”
It was shared on Twitter earlier this week, where it was greeted with widespread dismay.
Some felt it depicted women as “stupid”, while others hit out at its “reductive” narrative and use of gender stereotypes.
The advert in question was first spotted by social media manager Kirstie Jones
“I couldn’t believe it, I thought “what am I looking at here?” she tells the Metro.
“They’ve gone about it in a completely misguided way, it’s an outdated point of view, and it goes against the important message it’s trying to send out – awareness of the free service.”
The equivalent ad encouraging young men to use condoms was also criticised for its lack of nuance.
A spokesperson for Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust said the campaign had played an important role in tackling teenage pregnancy and poor sexual health in the local area.
Posters “do not refer to gender” and are now coming to a close after a school holidays awareness drive, the Trust added.
Images: Twitter