A public service ad paid for by the Los Angeles County public health agency to raise awareness about the dangers of syphilis has been rejected by local television stations that consider the content inappropriate.
County health officials had signed off on the admittedly adult-oriented spot aimed at reaching gay men who are at greatest risk of getting the disease. But they said they were frustrated by their inability to get the ads broadcast at a time when Los Angeles was struggling with a high number of syphilis cases.
"It's distressing to hear that some important public health messages are not being aired," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, county public health director. "My question would be, 'Is this content more "adult" than others that are being shown ... in the evening hours?' "
"I don't find it objectionable," he said. "Would I show it to a 4- to 5-year-old? No. But do I think it's appropriate for an adult audience? Yes, I do."
The debate comes as the Federal Communications Commission has increased its scrutiny of programming in recent months, following headline-grabbing incidents such as Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" during the Super Bowl half-time show.
Last week, Viacom agreed to pay the federal government $3.5 million to settle complaints that it broadcast sexually explicit material on its radio and TV shows, though it is still fighting the $550,000 fine that resulted from the Super Bowl incident.
The 30-second syphilis public service spot features "Phil the Sore," a lumpy, red cartoon character with an earring, who follows two men going home together. As the men later part, one of them, dressed in a bathrobe and underwear, says, "Let's do it again sometime." Phil then calls in his whole family, whose members carry boxes labeled "brain damage," "rash" and "blindness" -- all potential results of syphilis.
Public health officials said they worked with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to develop a campaign to combat the sexually transmitted disease after a dramatic rise in cases beginning in 2000, mostly among gay men. The agency said countywide early syphilis cases reported for that group grew from 93 to 364 between 2000 and 2003. This year, the numbers have dipped slightly to 254.
In the general population, reported cases rose from 256 to 535 between 2000 and 2003, then declined to 407 this year.
