NLIRH Launches Myth-Busting Campaign to End Abortion Stigma in Latino Community

MIAMI, FL— Today, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) announced the launch of their Yo Te Apoyo/I Support You campaign, which aims to disrupt the current narrative surrounding abortion in the Latino community. The campaign, which launched in Miami and Orlando, showcases the stories of family and friends who stand beside, accept, and respect their loved one’s decision to end a pregnancy. Through a series of ten 30-second bilingual PSAs (5 in English, 5 in Spanish), the new campaign poses a simple question to viewers: “There are hundreds of reasons why Latinos support loved ones who have considered abortion. What’s yours?” The PSAs direct online audiences to their accompanying microsite, YoTeApoyo.org, which allows for them to create a personalized message expressing their support for loved ones who have or may access abortion care. 

The Yo Te Apoyo/I Support You campaign builds off a January 2016 national poll* of Latino/a registered voters conducted by PerryUndem and commissioned by NLIRH. The results demonstrate that a strong majority of Latino/a voters (89 percent) would give support to a close friend or family member who has decided to have an abortion. Eight out of ten (82 percent) agree that a woman has the right to make personal decisions about abortion, without politicians interfering. In addition, a vast majority of Latino/a voters want to keep abortion safe and affordable, and believe that the process should be respectful, supportive and safe.

“Contrary to many troubling news narratives that typecast the Latino community as too conservative to support abortion access, Latino/a voters’ views on abortion are much more nuanced and strongly demonstrate support and compassion for a person seeking abortion care,” said Elianne Ramos, Senior Director of Communications & Public Affairs for NLIRH.

“Our polling debunks decades-old myths and stereotypes about our communities when it comes to abortion and directly refutes those assumptions with facts—when it comes to abortion, Latino/a voters believe that the process should be respectful, supportive and happen without political interference. Latinos stand by the decisions women make about their own bodies. With Yo Te Apoyo/I Support You, we want to uplift those voices of support in order to shift the current and traditional stigma and narrative surrounding abortion within our own community,” Ramos added.

To learn more about Yo Te Apoyo/I Support You, visit the campaign’s website at YoTeApoyo.org.

Perry Undem. (2016). “Latino/a Voters’ Views on Abortion: Findings from a National Survey,” February 29, 2016], commissioned by NLIRH. Retrieved from http://latinainstitute.org/sites/default/files/NLIRH%20Public%20Survey%20Report_Final.pdf.

Methodology:

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health commissioned PerryUndem Research/Communication to conduct a national survey of Latino/a voters on the topic of abortion. PerryUndem conducted the  national survey, Latino/a Voters’ Views on Abortion, within the United States among a representative sample of n = 1,011 registered Latino/a voters from January 28 to February 11, 2016. The survey was administered online using GfK’s KnowledgePanel. GfK uses address-based probability sampling for recruiting panelists. If participants do not have Internet access or hardware, GfK provides it. The margin of sampling error for total results is + 5.1 percentage points. The survey was administered in English and Spanish.

For more information on NLIRH’s fight for health, dignity and justice, visit us at latinainstitute.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @NLIRH.

###

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health is the only national reproductive justice organization dedicated to building Latina power to advance health, dignity, and justice for 28 million Latinas, their families, and communities in the United States through leadership development, community mobilization, policy advocacy, and strategic communications.