UK airs first-ever TV ad for abortion services

This is a biggie. We find via Broadsheet that on Monday night, Britain ran its very first TV commercial by an abortion provider.

The ad says:

If you’re late for your period, you could be pregnant. If you’re pregnant and not sure what to do, Marie Stopes International can help.

Despite the simple, uncontroversial language and late night airing, anti-choice folks are still up in arms about it:

The antiabortion organization LIFE compared it to car companies hocking their wares and crafted a form letter of protest to the U.K. equivalent of the FCC. The group even requested that the spot carry a kind of black box warning about the “mental health problems following abortion.” Note that proof of such risks is profoundly tenuous.

Although we can’t be too surprised about this considering the significance of its airing, let’s hope the ASA doesn’t listen to the hype and is confident in just how truly progressive and awesome airing this ad is. In fact, feel free to thank them.