ROME (AP) — Italy's efforts to combat infertility and reverse one of Europe's lowest birthrates have stumbled with an ad campaign denounced as sexist, racist and ignorant of the economic reasons why Italians aren't having babies.

Italy on Thursday celebrated its first-ever "Fertility Day," promoted by the Health Ministry to prevent infertility through education and health programs.

Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin sought to keep on message but was on the defensive after being forced to remove a "Fertility Day" publicity flyer denounced as racist. The flyer showed four light-skinned adults at the beach illustrating "good habits" for reproductive health, over a group of young people, including a black man, smoking.

Earlier ads were criticized as sexist for featuring a woman holding an hourglass with the words "Beauty doesn't have an age. Fertility does."