UK Has A Better Idea: Free EC & Animated YouTube!

Britain has a great idea! Two, actually. Emergency Contraception is available for free! Yes, at any drugstore. That's one idea. (That's a product called Plan B in the U.S.)

Second, the Brits want women to know about it and where to get it when they need it. So the town of Bristol, said to be kinda hip, got film animator Ian Ball to make a short 1 minute animated, humorous, music-rap video, available on YouTube, letting women know about Emergency Contraception and where to get it after a sexual encounter if they want to prevent a pregnancy. "It features a character called Penelope who wakes up to find somebody else in her bed. Worried that she might be pregnant, the character heads to the hospital for the morning-after pill," wrote the Bristol Evening Post.

Here's the clip:

This video, which repeats the refrain "Penelope Has a Problem" is called "Penelope's Poor Choice" by the animator ... not because Penelope is making a poor choice in GETTING Emergency Contraception, but because she bypasses a pharmacy where it is FREE, and heads instead to a hospital!

Bristol's director of public health told the newspaper: "It is important that young people know where to go for emergency contraception. Going to your local pharmacy, GP surgery or walk-in centre will save them up to a four-hour wait."  In other words, public leaders want to HELP women prevent unplanning pregnancies ... which is how it should be.

Too bad the animator can't do something about America's Poor Choice -- which was seen in December 2011 when the government refused to upgrade access to Emergency Contraception and declined to make it readily available in a pharmacy (for pay!) because some Right-wing nuts oppose women's reproductive control. The Secretary of the HHS rejected rejected the sensible recommendation of by a scientific panel that EC be sold on the shelves and ordered that it be available only "behind the counter" by asking a pharmacist (psst ... can I tell you a secret ... had sex last night with, well, never might with whom, but let's say, no way to pregnancy, so, so, so, can you get out some Plan B?) and that teens 17 and under to have a prescription (hey! she needs it fast, within 72 hours!)

So America can take a few lessons from the British. One is do the right thing an make Emergency Contraception fully available.

And the other -- do something hot, hip, creative, like Ian Ball!

Posted by Cindy Cooper
Above: Video by Ian Ball on YouTube

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Afro Jazz Video Sells the Female Condom in Cameroon

An upbeat music video about the virtues the female condom from Cameroon earns five stars for providing classy support for this underutilized safe-sex product.

A prior blog on this site described how YouTube has become a rich repository of "how to" videos about the female condom.

But none comes close to matching the high-quality and exciting energy of this 4:25 minute video, Je prends les choses en main, which roughly translates to "I take things in my own hands." Sung in French, English subtitles on this online version offer translations. The video, sponsored in part by the government, promotes a female condom product, Protectiv.

To an Afro-jazz beat, 18 national celebrities --equal parts men and women of varying ages -- participate. Featured is famous jazz musician Manu Dibango, but other fascinating African personalities appear, as well --Lady Ponce, Fally Ipupa, Nono, Flavie, Majoie Aiy, Michele Nogoumon, Anne Marie Nzio, and others.

The video starts with the lines: "You want to play the game with your guy; he doesn't have a condom; Put on the female condom; ... It's cool, cool, cool."

Other lines say "it puts women at the steering wheel of their health," and "no one is obliged to use one kind of condom," "with the female condom, women have a chance to choose," and "do not allow others to decide your future," and "play safe, it's no joke," and "it makes no noise, you can insert it eight hours before intercourse: it's GOOD". Midway, a sexy male jazz voice repeats "insert it/insert it/insert it," and another male participant says, "Female condom, I LOVE IT."

And while sky-high HIV rates may have propelled interest in the female condom, the video does not limit its marketing to a red-ribbon campaign. one line in the video says it protects against "HIV, STDs and unwanted pregnancy."

Aside from selling the female condom as a sexy, safe and completely acceptable option, the video is plain fun. A shorter version (but without English subtitles) is here. The video aired on three television channels in Cameroon and the song was played on radio, as well.

The "Je prends" campaign was sponsored by four international organizations and developed specifically as a social marketing campaign, as explained by the organization, SUPPORT:

It aims to scale up female condom social marketing activities in Cameroon. Key aspects of the project include: advocacy, engaging the media and enhancing interpersonal communications to promote the use of female condoms.

Apparently, it works. According to one health advocate, more than three-quarters of a million female condoms were sold in a year. Africa has sent more than one great idea to the world, and it would be grand if U.S. organizations took heed!

Posted by Cindy Cooper
Pictured above: Screen shot from Cameroon's "Je prends" video

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Laughing at SIRI's Abortion Gaffes

First there was the mild shock, and then there was the AWE-ful fun! SIRI, the new Apple iPhone4 personal assistant app that gives answers to every question, couldn't tell up from down when asked for an abortion clinic. But it's the humorous response of Happyplace.com that really got creative.

The back story. The Abortioneers first reported it. SIRI, when asked about where to find an abortion clinic, got all tongue-tied. As one commenter on the site reported, these were SIRI's responses to: "I am pregnant and do not want to be. Where can I go to get an abortion?"

“I’m really sorry about this, but I can’t take any requests right now. Please try again in a little while.”

“Sorry, [my name], I can’t look for places in Tanzania.”

“I don’t see any abortion clinics. Sorry about that.”

All manner of bloggers and writers got on the case, and tested asking SIRI about abortion, birth control, Planned Parenthood. Same lame replies. It was odd, writers noted, and some expressed flat-out outrage.

And then came a reply from an unknown writer in a post at Happyplace.com titled, "SIRI now trying way too hard to help people get abortions."

The tongue-in-cheek poster wrote: "It was reported that Siri, the usually servile and open-minded iPhone 4S assistant, was acting a little cagey when it came to helping users get abortions.... Well we downloaded the newest iPhone update and after running a few tests, it seems like Siri is maybe trying a little too hard to make good."

And the Happyplace poster followed with six hilarious pretend responses (see picture) by SIRI created into phone graphics. (Hat tip, Deanna Zandt.)

One sample parody:

Phone Owner: What's the weather like today?
SIRI: It's mild. High of 57 degrees. Perfect abortion weather.
Phone Owner: I don't want to get an abortion, Siri.
SIRI: That is your choice, and I support it.
SIRI: But are you really sure you want to bring a child into such a messed-up world?

With everything that is, indeed, wrong with the world and the unremitting attacks on abortion, a little parody goes a long way. Thanks for the laugh, Anon Happyplace poster!

Posted by Cindy Cooper
Pictured above: Screen shot of SIRI parody post at Happyplace.com

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