Advocates Join Forces to Launch #NoTeenShame Campaign

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) joins state and national organizations in launching the #NoTeenShame campaign—a response from advocates and young parents to recent Candie’s Foundation advertisements. As part of National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, Candie’s has promoted harmful advertisements that shame and stigmatize young families. Young parents and advocates are requesting a meeting with Mr. Neil Cole, founder and current member of the Board of Directors of Candie’s, to address how Candie’s can increase their comprehensive sex education and use messages in their campaigns that support young people.

“Shaming young parents in a misguided attempt to prevent teen unintended pregnancy has become all too common in public awareness campaigns, and directly harms the very young people they claim to be concerned with. We are disappointed that the Candie’s Foundation has decided to follow this ineffective and hurtful model,” said Jessica González-Rojas, executive director of NLIRH.

Candie’s advertisements are particularly problematic for young Latinos/as. Structural barriers like lack of health insurance access, poverty, immigration status, and discrimination prevent Latinas from accessing important reproductive care like contraception, leading to higher rates of unintended pregnancy.

“Young people and their families need medically accurate, culturally-appropriate and socially relevant health information and education, including comprehensive sex education, to make healthy and informed decisions about their lives. They also need increased access to contraception,” González-Rojas said. “Telling teen parents that they won’t achieve anything because they are parents does nothing to address the systemic issues surrounding unintended, teen pregnancy. We welcome a conversation with Mr. Neil Cole and the Candie’s Foundation to discuss how we can work together to support all young people, including young parents.”

The #NoTeenShame campaign is coordinated by Advocates for Youth, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, Choice USA, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), Forward Together, Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, New York Coalition for Reproductive Justice, Strong Families Young Parents Cohort, Voto Latino, and Young Women United. To learn more, please visit our homepage and petition.

To learn more about the impact of stigma and shaming on Latino/a health, please read the NLIRH report Removing Stigma: Towards a Complete Understanding of Young Latinas’ Sexual Health.

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The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health is the only national organization working on behalf of the reproductive health and justice of the 24 million Latinas, their families and communities in the United States through public education, community mobilization and policy advocacy.