Teenage Parents Have Only Miserable and Vindictive Babies, Say NYC Ads Provocative new poster series By John Tejada

Teenage pregnancy is on the rise. Wait, no it's not! Teen birth rates were at an all-time low in the U.S. in 2011, according to CBS News. And according to New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the city's teen pregnancy rate dropped by 27 percent in the last 10 years. Nevertheless, we have some provocative new ads from NYC's Teen Pregnancy Prevention Campaign combatting the babies-having-babies epidemic. The campaign, which began running across town in subways and bus shelters this week, features adorable kids who are victims—just by being born—of their horrible, unthinking teen parents. One features a kid saying, "Got a good job? I cost thousands of dollars each year." Another, arguably the most most controversial, features a crying baby boy with text that reads, "I'm twice as likely not to graduate high school because you had me as a teen." The ads haveprovoked a war of words between the mayor's office and Planned Parenthood of New York City, which has denounced the posters, claiming they ignore the racial, economic and social factors that contribute to teenage pregnancy and stigmatize teen parents and their children. But the message to teens is certainly clear: Don't want a weepy, resentful baby on your hands? Don't get pregnant. More ads below. Top image via.