Abortion clinics could soon be advertised on television and radio for the first time.

Restrictions on the advertising of condoms on television could also be relaxed under a shake-up of the rules put forward in an effort to halt high rates of teenage pregnancy.

Adverts for pregnancy advisory services could be allowed in prime-time evening slots on the major channels and radio following consultation by advertising watchdogs.

But advertisers must stipulate if the service does not refer women directly for abortion under the new proposals.

One of Britain's biggest independent pregnancy advisory service, whose clinicians perform abortions as well, said it would immediately consider running adverts.

Julie Douglas, head of marketing at Marie Stopes International, said: 'I don't know if we could afford to do it in prime-time TV, but it would be a very interesting thing to do.'

Conservative MP Nadine Dorries who led calls for a cut in the upper time limit for abortions from 24 weeks to 20, said the proposal was 'just plain sick'.

'I am quite sure that any adverts will depict smiling pretty nurses, gleaming reception areas and leafy car parks,' Ms Dorries wrote in her blog.

'They will not in any way show the fear, anguish, isolation, or subsequent depression.'


any thought?????
this is in England by the way. not sure about the rest of the world.

I really don't think it's necessary. =/

Regardless of people's opinions on abortion itself, it's still killing an unborn child.
Why would you advertise something like that?

It's like having a commercial for a funeral home on tv or something =/

there have actually been adverts for funeral homes actually :-/
but this ... i dunno... advertise condoms and contraceptions alike but i think abortions a bit much...

Omg, really? That's just disturbing :-/
I personally think abortion is a bit extreme. I'm all for the woman's choice, but I think it should be looked at as a last option.
It'd be better to educate the public on how NOT to get pregnant, instead of 'oh here, you can't keep your legs together: let us show you the easy way out!'

We have funeral home and funeral insurance on tell all the time.

there's heaps of funeral home adverts here. you don't do that over there?

I know we have them in the newspaper sometimes, on the pages with the obituaries (lol ;D)

But never on TV.

i think it's a rather stupid idea, honestly. an abortion is a personal thing, everyone knows the clinics exist, there is really no reason to show ads on tv for them.

That's a bit weird. If you need an abortion, you will work out what to do. I don't really want to see it when I'm watching TV. Thank the Lord for Sky+ so I can skip ads!

There's nothing wrong with showing more condom ads though, I support that.

I'm assuming the adverts are also going to be shown in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, not just England?? (Or did you just do that typically England thing and say England when you meant the UK?)

no i just assume england.

Given that our TV in Scotland is pretty much the same as in England, I checked. The consultation is indeed in regard to rules applying to TV in the whole of the UK, not just England.

ok, cheers.

We have Planned Parenthood Ads and condom comercials here but only on certian Cable Channels and during certian time blocks. I see nothing wrong with it IMHO *shrugs*

i smell a shitstorm.

wait, are they PROMOTING abortion??

Not trying to sound like a smartass, but I don't understand the connection between funeral home/insurance ads and abortion clinic ads? Funeral homes provide services to the [u]already[/u] passed on & funeral insurance is "just in case" whereas abortion clinics are giving you the option to kill an embryo that will potentially become a living, breathing human being.

This is just wrong. Why would you have to advertise something so controversial that everyone knows is already there? So you can make more money? That is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard.

You stated the point in the connection in your own post: "Why would you have to advertise something so controversial that everyone knows is already there?"

Pro-choice and all, but an abortion commercial isn't really going to increase business. It's just going to light a fire under the asses of a lot of people who oppose it.

maybe i missed something, but i don't see how a funeral home is controversial?

I do agree that an abortion commercial isn't going to increase business (i was being a little unreasnable earlier), but at the same time there are two points to adverts: 1) spread awareness or 2) spread awareness to [hopefully] bring in a profit. I just don't think such controversies should be put in prime time slots for children & already sexually active teenagers to see. It's already a known option and does not need any more exposure. IMO, it's promoting an easy way out like "oh shit, i'm pregnant. oh, i know! i'll just have an abortion!"

The point wasn't about being controversial. >.>

See Jessica's comment.

i don't think you're understanding what i'm trying to get across. but thanx anyway =]

maybe i missed something, but i don't see how a funeral home is controversial?

That was YOUR comment, you're understanding this, right?

I think I know what you mean, yo! Like, you don't mean controversial as in funeral homes are seen by some as murder and by others as important for human freedom, and thus evoke heated debates. Like, they cannot obviously be equated with abortion. But controversial as in there is disagreement over whether or not it's appropriate for them to be advertised on TV.

And I'm curious myself as to why anyone would have a problem with them being advertised on TV, yo!

You definitely said it a lot better than i did! I'm glad someone finally understood where I was coming from =]

You don't think it's going to increase business? Hmm. Ethics and morals aside, advertising usually increases business... that's usually the point of advertising a business. From what I understand they're allowing advertising of the abortion clinics, and not advertising of the actual issue of abortion. One way or another, advertising these clinics will make people "know" about their existance more and possibly even believe in them more, how could it not increase business, even if only a little? And that's not to say that it won't also light a fire under the asses of a lot of people who oppose it.