Shock teen pregnancy video is a hit
A video showing a schoolgirl giving birth has been viewed more than 70,000 times since being posted on the internet.
The film is the latest weapon used by the primary care trust NHS Leicester City and the city council in the fight to reduce teenage pregnancies.
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An image from the video
The clip, Teenage Kicks, features a girl giving birth on a school playing field surrounded by screaming classmates.
The footage, filmed on a mobile phone using actors, is posted on video sharing sites popular with young people, including YouTube and Kontraband. Today, the primary care trust said it had now been viewed about 72,000 times.
The film lasts 30 seconds and was produced by Leicester City Teenage Pregnancy and Parenthood Partnership.
It shows a gang of teens running towards a crowd of other schoolchildren. But in the middle of the jeering crowd is a girl in labour.
The clip ends with the slogan "Not what you expected?'' followed by, "Being a teenage parent might not be either''. The primary care trust said although the clip might be graphic, it was designed to get young people's attention.
Chief executive Tim Rideout said: "Nearly half the city's wards are classed as teen pregnancy hotspots."
He said the campaign would also include a docudrama next month on hey.babe.co.uk
He said: "We're doing lots of things with our partners to do everything we can to reduce the number, with some success.
"The campaign was designed with a lot of input from young people."
He said the trust was also working in the longer term on improving education, life chances and raising aspirations.
The clip has provoked a reaction among viewers.
On YouTube, one viewer posted: "It's a very well made film. I had to watch it twice to make sure it wasn't real.
"Seriously, though, if this was real it would be massive headlines on every news channel.''
On Kontraband, a similar site, one viewer said: "Very powerful message-conveying vid."
4 Comments
by Stu, Evington Exile
Wednesday, May 20 2009, 2:05PM
“John you are not giving young people much credit.
Your statement leads to the opinion that all the Drink Driving adverts on television and Pictures on fag packets are of no use either.
The shock factor is usually the only way of getting ideas into the public¿s conscious, and basic marketing principals show that to get into your markets mind you need to use the appropriate media. How they then use this information is down the personal preference and further education.”
by John Stitch, Leicester Town
Wednesday, May 20 2009, 12:17PM
“I'm amazed at the Mercury getting so excited here - this is sort of failing to understand how alot of teenager's minds work, surely. If something gains some kind of notoriety on sites like You Tube then obviously tens of thousands of people will look at it, just so you can say to your mates that you've seen it. ( Especially when it's given extra exposure through TV and newspaper stories ! )
Most will go 'urrrrgh, dat is, like gross', some will shrug their shoulders and find it a bit silly when they realise it's not for real, and alot of others will probably find it funny. Next day they'll have moved on to whatever the next 'must see' clip is that's waved under their noses.”
by Kulgan, Crydee
Wednesday, May 20 2009, 11:40AM
“Anything that brings it home and goes someway to reduce the rate of teenage pregnancies must be a good thing. Sometimes a good short, sharp, shock does more than a mulititude of leaflets.”
by Kate, Coalville
Wednesday, May 20 2009, 9:04AM
“I must admit, when I saw this on the news last night, I didn't realise at first that it wasn't real and it made me feel quite sick.
A very powerful, well made deterent to teenage pregnancies (I hope!).”