{"id":9789,"date":"2026-04-17T09:01:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T09:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/?p=9789"},"modified":"2026-04-17T09:01:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T09:01:02","slug":"billboards-against-c-sections-on-display-in-bucharest-spark-criticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/?p=9789","title":{"rendered":"Billboards against C-sections on display in Bucharest spark criticism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Billboards that discourage cesarean sections were spotted in Bucharest in the last week, sparking widespread condemnation from civil society and doctors who point to a lack of scientific proof.\u00a0The messages on the billboards claim that medically-assisted cesarean births \u201cremove the vital process of natural birth.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Romanian College of Physicians reacted to the campaign with a public statement on Tuesday, April 14, warning that the claims lack a scientific basis and that medical information must be correct and scientifically validated.<\/p>\n

\u201cHealth misinformation or incomplete presentation of information does not represent simple opinions, but can constitute a real risk to the population\u2019s health,\u201d the College of Physicians warned, requesting that any public information campaign be transparent and clearly contain the identification data of the initiator or promoter of the campaign, according to ProTV<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Subsequently, the Romanian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology expressed \u201cdeep concern\u201d regarding the billboards that convey \u201csimplistic, incomplete, and erroneous messages\u201d about birth by cesarean section, unsupported by scientific evidence and which do not reflect current medical reality. According to the cited source, these can create \u201cconfusion and anxiety\u201d among pregnant women, influencing \u201csensitive medical decisions,\u201d which must be made together with the attending physician.<\/p>\n

According to doctors, \u201chealth misinformation or incomplete presentation of information does not represent simple opinions, but can constitute a real risk to the population\u2019s health.\u201d<\/p>\n

State institutions also took action regarding the scandal. The president of the National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC), B\u00e9k\u00e9si Csaba, announced<\/a> on Thursday, April 16, that the procedure to identify all entities involved in the conception, financing, and dissemination of the anti-cesarean messages distributed in Bucharest has been initiated, and their representatives have been invited to the institution\u2019s headquarters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to the public official, \u201cany public message that can influence consumer behavior must comply with strict standards of correctness, transparency, and scientific grounding, especially when it concerns the medical field.\u201d After ANPC representatives meet with the initiators of the campaign, the institution will adopt a decision meant \u201cto protect the public interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the political stage, environment minister Diana Buzoianu announced that she submitted a complaint to ANPC, Bucharest City Hall, and the sector city halls regarding the billboards, which she calls \u201cfake news.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe billboards cannot remain with these messages in the public space, and there are also clear provisions with fines that can be applied,\u201d Diana Buzoianu wrote on Thursday evening on Facebook. She stated that legislation in the field of advertising and health is being violated.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen do not need pseudo-science sold on advertising billboards. They need decent public services, advice from real professionals, and authorities that protect their rights,\u201d Diana Buzoianu stated.<\/p>\n

Similarly, Save Romania Union (USR) senator Cynthia P\u0103un requested the urgent removal of the billboards, warning that they can influence sensitive medical decisions. \u201cI gave birth twice by cesarean section, not because I \u2018chose the easy way\u2019 or because \u2018I didn\u2019t want to give birth naturally,\u2019 but because it was the right decision, made together with my doctor, for my children and me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTurning a medical decision into a propaganda theme, pushed on billboards in the public space, is not only irresponsible, but deeply unfair to women. Women do not need to be convinced, judged, or corrected through such messages. They need to be correctly informed by medical staff and supported in the decisions they make for themselves and their children,\u201d she further argued.<\/p>\n

radu@romania-insider.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

(Photo source: Bekesi Csaba on Facebook)<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Billboards that discourage cesarean sections were spotted in Bucharest in the last week, sparking widespread condemnation from civil society and doctors who point to a lack of scientific proof.\u00a0The messages on the billboards claim that medically-assisted cesarean births \u201cremove the vital process of natural birth.\u201d The Romanian College of Physicians reacted to the campaign with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9789"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9789\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}