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Project Overview
One in four girls in South Carolina will become pregnant before her 20th birthday. Less than half of these teen mothers graduate from high school. The reasons why are complicated. But it doesn’t help that young women in South Carolina have little to no access to sexual information in public schools. As a result, teens have to actively search for more information about birth control options; a scenario that is not ideal.
The Approach
We interviewed teenagers (ages 13-19) across the state to better understand the barriers to learning about and using birth control. It became obvious that, due to their lifestyle and mindset, birth control options need to be low maintenance: IUD or Hormone Implant, or vaccines good for up to 12 weeks. We also found this age group considers themselves more “women” than girls. Over and over, they reiterated the desire for more control. Gaining control was the trigger. Birth control gives a young woman CONTROL: over her body, over her future, and over her life.
The script for our message came from actual interview discussions. The visuals represented a day in the life of a teen, as depicted by our on-camera volunteers. Because this age group utilizes multiple social channels, we designed versions for Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. All messages lead the viewer to a place where she or he can make an informed decision.
