Parents Asked to Oppose Urban Outfitters Condom Sales

From ALL
Washington, D.C. (11 August 2010) – American Life League’s Stop Planned Parenthood project (STOPP) is mobilizing parents to counter Urban Outfitters Inc., the youth-oriented retailer selling Planned Parenthood’s “Proper Attire” condoms on its web site.

While condoms have an overall typical-use failure rate of 15 percent – with some studies reporting a failure rate as high as 36 percent for typical teen use – Planned Parenthood condoms scored at the very bottom in a February 2005 Consumer Reports study on condom effectiveness.

“By hawking Planned Parenthood’s condoms, Urban Outfitters has become part of the problem, not the solution,” said Rita Diller, STOPP’s national director. “The great majority of parents do not want a penny of their money going to an organization like Planned Parenthood, which works around the clock to undermine parental rights, sexualize children and protect their abusers.”

Billed as a “safe bet,” the item’s description in the Urban Outfitters online catalogue says, “Proceeds from Proper Attire condoms benefit advances in reproductive health.”

“Marketing condoms to young people and telling them it’s a safe bet is like giving them a revolver and inviting them to a rousing game of Russian roulette,” Diller said. “The only way to truly protect our youth from AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and out-of-wedlock pregnancy is to do everything in our power to encourage them to remain sexually abstinent until marriage.”

A recent CDC study shows that most never-married teens are sexually abstinent. Most of the teens said the number-one reason for abstaining is the fact that sex outside of marriage is against their religion or morality. The rise in numbers of sexually abstinent teens and the downturn in teen pregnancy rates coincide with the availability and popularity of abstinence education.

Parents are encouraged to explain to Urban Outfitters that, if the retailer continues to promote Planned Parenthood condoms, they will boycott its stores and products, and will let other parents know about the connection between Planned Parenthood and Urban Outfitters. Parents are also encouraged to tell Urban Outfitters that they do not want it marketing any sexually oriented products to their children.

You can call the Urban Outfitters corporate office at 800-959-8794 (toll-free) or 215-454-5500, or e-mail it at http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/help/contactus.jsp.


American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death. For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942.

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•Urban Outfitters: Planned Parenthood "Proper Attire" Condoms http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=18607168&navAction=jump&navCount=0