November 10, 2003
For Immediate Release
Contact:

Maryam Kubasek
Director of Communications
513/521-6227, ext. 111

The National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families has launched a public awareness campaign against clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch aimed at exposing the company’s irresponsible promotion of risky sexual behaviors to teens in its “magalog.”

“Abercrombie & Fitch has become the premiere purveyor of sexualized messages to the pre-teen and teenage audience,” said Rick Schatz, president and CEO of the National Coalition. “The latest catalog, 'Christmas Field Guide' continues to tell teens that there are no sexual boundaries and no consequences to any sexual behavior.”

The National Coalition is asking concerned consumers to do several things: 

“Abercrombie & Fitch is selling a moral philosophy of sexuality that not only doesn’t work but is actually harming America’s youth,” noted Schatz. “The message that recreational sex outside the safety of a committed, monogamous relationship has no consequences is simply untrue. America leads the entire world in unwanted teen pregnancies – approximately 2700 teenagers become pregnant each day in America. American teenagers are more likely to become pregnant and have multiple partners than any other teenager on the planet. We lead the industrialized world in sexually transmitted diseases – approximately 70 million Americans are currently infected with an STD, with an estimated 15.3 million new cases each year. The highest at risk group in America is between the ages of 17 and 25, the same demographic audience being targeted by A&F.

“This popular clothing company isn’t using sex to sell clothes. It’s using its clothing catalog to promote a distorted and dangerous philosophy about sex, which is contributing to a host of devastating personal and societal costs,” he added.