Teen pregnancy has become a social and economic crisis, and the greatest obstacle to Mississippi’s future economic growth. In fact, the state’s teen birth rate is nearly double the national average (55 of every 1,000 teens). Moreover, since abstinence is the only form of sex education taught in more than half of Mississippi’s schools, the Women’s Fund of Mississippi discovered widespread ignorance among teens about sex, reproduction and STDs. They asked Ramey to create an integrated campaign designed to dispel myths about sex by driving traffic to a new website — factnotfiction.com — that offers teens clear, medically accurate information.
Ramey created television and radio spots, in addition to social media, and even an interactive video quiz to promote the site. The campaign, which broke in early October, features actual myths about sex recounted by teens in focus groups throughout the state, many of which show shocking ignorance. For the future, our fervent hope is that informed teens will make smarter, better choices. Look for updates as we track results.
