Ads push for new 'A-word'
By Sharon Coolidge, CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio wants the public to know they're about more than abortions, so they've launched an advertising campaign called the "A-Word." The real "A-words" are abstinence, access, affordability and advocacy, according to the campaign that is designed to educate the public about Planned Parenthood's services and encourage discussion about sexual and reproductive health. "When people hear the 'A-word,' they automatically think of abortion, but we're more than that," said Becki Brenner, CEO of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region. "By educating people about the services we provide and the importance of prevention, we can prevent the 'A-word' from standing for abortion. "If the public works with me, that 'A-word' will be less and less needed," she said. The campaign comes as a high-profile lawsuit that accuses the agency of giving abortions to minors without parental consent is in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, and U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Westwood, is pushing to stop the agency from moving its Green Township clinic near several Westside schools. "This gives me the opportunity to get out there and tell the truth," Brenner said. Paula Westwood, executive director of Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati, called the ads misleading. "Unless people are aware of everything going on with Planned Parenthood, they will not know Planned Parenthood actually encourages sexual activity through their promotion of what they call a 'comprehensive sex-education program,' " Westwood said. She thinks the ads are part of a nationwide trend by the agency to improve its image and are being released here now in part to counteract her group's Web site, protectcincinnati.org, which is a voice for those opposed to the Green Township clinic's move to West Price Hill. "It looks like they hired marketing gurus to put a better face on," she said. The campaign, launched two weeks ago at a cost of more than $10,000, is appearing in The Enquirer and other Enquirer publications such as Hometown and CinWeekly over the next six weeks, though Brenner hopes to expand to television and radio. When Brenner came to Cincinnati as Planned Parenthood's CEO two years ago, she found the community had a negative perception of the agency. It had been firebombed in the 1980s, and protests outside their Mount Auburn clinic drew attention. "We really needed to articulate who we are and what we do," Brenner said. For instance, the agency offers cancer screenings, education about teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and prenatal care, Brenner said. Abortions are just 2 percent of their work, she said. The ads provide information about the services offered at Planned Parenthood's 10 clinics and direct people to the Web site www.theawordohio.com. They also show Brenner's picture and encourage readers to e-mail her. There have just been a handful of e-mails so far. "Some people I will not be able to move, but there is a core group of people in our community who need to understand that Planned Parenthood's primary focus is prevention," Brenner said.
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