As part of National Herpes Awareness Day (yes that is a real thing), a herpes medication ad debuted in Times Square, New York City. The ad for Femiclear featured a woman in orange leggings opening and closing her legs. It’s shocking, especially considering all the families that walk-through Times Square every day. But what’s even more interesting is that in 2019, Focus on the Family tried to get one of these same billboard companies to show an image of a preborn baby. They refused.
The sexual transmitted infection (STI) rate in the United States is currently at record highs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “combined cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia reached an all-time high in the United States in 2018.” Most disturbingly, the report cites an increasing threat to newborns due to the rise in congenital syphilis.
Apparently, despite the easy availability of contraception, Americans somehow remain surprisingly ignorant on the transmission of STIs.
This sad reality has resulted in an increasing need and desire for STI testing and treatment at home through a growing online prescription business. For example, there is a new website called Nurx that provides herpes tests that can be performed at home by the patient and returned to the lab for testing.
That STIs are so common that Americans need an at home testing system should be a wakeup call to the country in terms of sexual health.
The new medication called FemiClear is specifically designed to help with the female specific symptoms of herpes. According to the website, FemiClear is committed to “helping destigmatize feminine health issues. Genital herpes and yeast infections are common conditions (yeast infections are, genital herpes is avoidable) and are never something to be whispered about in shame. Time to open up ladies!”
Are they saying that women should open up their legs too? Because that’s what the FemiClear showed on one of the billboards in Times Square.
In the short ad, a woman in leggings can be seen opening and closing her legs. FemiClear, represented by 31,000 FT advertising agency, states that it is a “more effective and all-natural yeast infection treatment” when compared to the competition.
But is Times Square really the best place for a STI medication ad, especially such a seemingly graphic one?
And why could this graphic ad be shown, but a picture of a preborn baby in the womb was deemed too controversial?
In 2019, Focus on the Family went to New York City in order to celebrate life and give New Yorkers and Times Square tourists a glimpse inside the womb to see a developing, living preborn baby. However, the organization was unable to secure any billboards and was forced to bring its own screens.
Why are Times Square and advertisers so afraid to show life inside the womb, but a woman opening her legs is okay?
Photo is from Shutterstock.
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