Crisis pregnancy campaign to target older women

A new advertising campaign about crisis pregnancy is to target older women for the first time.

The Crisis Pregnancy Agency said the perception is that crisis pregnancies only affect women under the age of 25 while those aged between 35 and 55 are just expected to cope.

The CPA's new "Positive Options" campaign will address the fears that many women have over a crisis pregnancy.

The tagline of the new campaign, "an unplanned pregnancy is not the end of the world" seeks to address the fears women have about their educational or employment prospects and their relationships with families and friends. There will be a television, radio and press advertising campaign, starting on Monday.

In addition to a new leaflet and wallet card, which will be available in doctors' surgeries and student health centres, the 61 Unicare pharmacies nationwide have also agreed to promote the campaign.

Some advertisements running on television and radio will be targeted at older women and will focus on the specific fears that they have in relation to a crisis pregnancy such as the perceived stigma of having a child in their late 40s or the impact on their career or their plans to travel more as their families grow up.

CPA director Caroline Spillane said: "We are being quite blatant about the fact that it is for older women. We want older women to know that this service is available for them."

Separately, a new booklet by the Dublin Aids Alliance has been published in six languages to reflect the growing multiculturalism of Ireland. "The Don't Panic Guide to Sexual Health", which was launched yesterday, is available in English, Polish, Mandarin, Arabic, Russian and French. It gives an overview of sexual health and sexual health services in Dublin.