New York’s public hospitals are using emojis to talk to young people about sex and sexual health

In possibly the most millennial thing to ever happen, New York hospitals are using emojis to get young people to talk about sex and sexual health.

Facebook ads featuring birds, bees and a rather suggestive eggplant, will be appearing on the timelines of young people from today accompanied by the phrase: “Need to talk to someone about ‘it’?”

*We’ve got your back

The online campaign, launched today by NYC Health & Hospitals, aims to connect with the younger generation and promote safe sex to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, as without a digital image of a purple root vegetable we really would be lost. The website also features an emoji of a monkey covering its mouth and the caption, ‘Nobody to talk to?’

While this campaign may seem patronizing, it does serve a positive purpose as it’s intended to educate young people about the confidential sexual and reproductive health services offered at New York’s YouthHealth centers, showing them to be safe and understanding environments.

Dr. Warren Seigel, chairman of the department of pediatrics and director of adolescent medicine at Coney Island Hospital, told The New York Times: “We’re taking away all of the excuses for adolescents not to enroll in health care.”

Surely it won’t be long before we start seeing Pokéstops and PokéGYMs located at sexual health clinics. You heard it here first.