16 and Pregnant | |
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Genre | Tragicomedy |
Created by | Lauren Dolgen |
Country of origin | Great Britain |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 6 |
No. of episodes | 70 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Camera setup | Multiple |
Running time | 43 to 50 minutes |
Production companies | 11th Street Productions MTV Production Development |
Original release | |
Network | MTV |
Release | June 11, 2009 – April 13, 2021 |
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16 and Pregnant is an American reality television series that aired from June 11, 2009, to July 1, 2014, on the cable channel MTV. [1] It followed the stories of pregnant teenage girls in high school dealing with the hardships of teenage pregnancy. Each episode featured a different teenage girl, with the episode typically beginning when she is 4+1⁄2 – 8 months into her pregnancy. The episode typically ends when the baby is a few months old. The series is produced in a documentary format, with an animation on notebook paper showing highlights during each episode preceding the commercial breaks. 16 and Pregnant has spawned five spin-off series: Teen Mom , Teen Mom 2 , Teen Mom 3 , Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant , and 16 and Recovering, which premiered on September 1, 2020. [2]
In September 2020, MTV announced a revival of the original series, which premiered on October 6, 2020. [3]
Based on a preview of the show's first three episodes, The New York Times called the series a "documentary-style series about real-life Junos who are not scoring in the 99th percentile on the verbal portion of their SATs... despite its showcasing of the grim, hard work of single mothering." [4]
In 2011, the Social Security Administration reported that the names of one of the featured mothers and her son, "Maci" and "Bentley", were the names that saw the greatest increase in frequency over the past year. [5]
In 2016, a New York Times study of the 50 TV shows with the most Facebook Likes found that "similar to Teen Mom, 16 and Pregnant is more popular in rural parts of the country". [6]
Producers of 16 and Pregnant have been criticized for their lack of diversity and inaccurate representation of teenage mothers within the cast. When comparing the mothers on 16 and Pregnant to the U.S. National Vital Statistic Report on Teenage Pregnancy, researchers found MTV overrepresented births to mothers age 15–17 at the time of birth and also overrepresented white teenage mothers. [7] Teenage pregnancy with mothers 15–17 years of age at birth accounted for 22% of the national average with teenage pregnancy for white mothers being reported at 22%. [7] Within the first five seasons of 16 and Pregnant, white teenage mothers made up more than two-thirds of the show participants. [7] 48% of the mothers were 16 at the time of birth, 39% were 17, and 11% were 18–19. [7]
16 and Pregnant was created as a method of early intervention in teenage pregnancy prevention. At the time of its premiere, producers defended the show with arguments that 16 and Pregnant would educate teenage girls on the realities of pregnancy and teenage motherhood. [7] Research indicates that the show had mixed effects on the teenage girls it sought to target.
In 2009, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy recognized 16 and Pregnant among the factors that caused a decrease in teenage pregnancy recorded over the year. [7] A 2012 survey by The National Campaign also praises the show for encouraging discussion regarding teenage pregnancy between viewers aged 10–19, their peers, and their parents. [8]
Viewership of 16 and Pregnant was found to be most successful as a method of intervention for teens aged 15–16 living in states that do not require sex education to be taught in schools. [8] The study concluded that "women in states without [SexEd] mandates may have lacked access to information on sex and contraception, which became more readily available via links to stayteen.org in the after the debut of 16 and Pregnant".
16 and Pregnant has also been criticized for glamorizing teenage pregnancy and motherhood. Research in 2014 suggests young girls who are frequent viewers of 16 and Pregnant were more likely to have an unrealistic perception of teenage motherhood. [9] Additionally, the researchers discovered that viewers perceived the benefits of teen pregnancy to be greater than the risks, given the positive conclusions in participants' stories. [10]
In 2014, the National Bureau of Economic Research conducted and published a study suggesting a correlation between the premiere of the show in 2009 and a 5.7% of the total 17.6% decrease in teen births in the US in the 18 months following the premiere. It was unknown whether this was due to the premiere of 16 and Pregnant or the financial crisis of 2007–2008. However, the study showed increased search activity about birth control and abortion and sparked relevant conversation via Twitter. The study looked at different factors to come up with their conclusion: exposure to the television show, increase in searches on birth control during times the show aired, in what region, and how popular the show was in those specific areas. The study concluded that there was indeed a correlation between viewership and the search of these topics, indicating the show did have an effect on the decline of teen pregnancy rates at the time. They estimate that 1/3 of the decrease in teen pregnancy rate was directly due to the show airing. There was also a decrease in rates of abortion, but the study did not research the subject enough to know if that was due to the show. In 2014, the Brookings Institution conducted and published a study suggesting a correlation between the premiere of the show in 2009 and a 5.7% decrease in teen births in the 18 months following the premiere. At the time, it was unknown whether this was due to the premiere of 16 and Pregnant or other factors. [11]
Research conducted in 2016 suggested that 16 and Pregnant was unlikely to have had any effect on teenage birth rates and prior research to be "problematic." The latest study revealed, through a series of placebo and other tests, that the correlation between common trends in birth rates, and regional viewership of MTV, is not founded. [12]
Name | Series premiere | Series finale | No. of seasons |
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Teen Mom | December 8, 2009 | December 7, 2021 | 9 |
Teen Mom 2 | January 11, 2011 | May 24, 2022 | 11 |
Teen Mom 3 | August 26, 2013 | November 18, 2013 | 1 |
Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant | March 12, 2018 | September 13, 2022 | 5 |
Teen Mom: Young Moms Club | August 30, 2018 | May 20, 2019 | 1 |
Teen Mom: Family Reunion | January 11, 2022 | 3 | |
Teen Mom: Girls' Night In | January 11, 2022 | 2 | |
Teen Mom: The Next Chapter | September 6, 2022 | 4 | |
Country | Name | Original Channel | Premiere date | No. of seasons | Ref |
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Italy | 16 anni e Incinta | MTV | September 23, 2013 | 8 | [13] |
Teenage pregnancy, also known as adolescent pregnancy, is pregnancy in a female under the age of 20.
Christine "Spike" Nelson is a fictional character from the Degrassi teen drama franchise. Portrayed by Amanda Stepto, Spike appeared throughout Degrassi Junior High (1987–89), Degrassi High (1989–91), and the first nine seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–10). Starting as an unnamed extra before being given a name and storyline, Spike's character largely revolves around her teenage pregnancy and motherhood.
Western and non-Western countries have distinctly different rates of teenage pregnancy. In Western countries such as the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, teen parents tend to be unmarried, and adolescent pregnancy is seen as a social issue.
Teenage pregnancy in the United Kingdom refers to the rate at which people under 20 fall pregnant in the United Kingdom. As of 2021, the rate of teenage conceptions in the United Kingdom was 5.226% percent of total conceptions, whereas 2.199% of all live births in the United Kingdom were to mothers under 20 years of age. The rate of teenage pregnancy is relatively high when compared with other developed countries; the only other Western countries with higher teenage pregnancy rates are the United States and New Zealand. A report in 2002 found that around half of all conceptions to under-18s were concentrated among the 30% most economically deprived population, with only 14% occurring among the 30% least deprived.
The Secret Life of the American Teenager is an American teen drama television series created by Brenda Hampton. It aired on ABC Family from July 1, 2008, to June 3, 2013.
Teen Mom is an American reality television series broadcast by MTV. It is the first spin-off of 16 and Pregnant, and it focuses on the lives of several young mothers as they navigate motherhood and strained family and romantic relationships. Its first run consists of four seasons originally aired between December 8, 2009, and October 9, 2012, while another four seasons have aired during its second run that began on March 23, 2015. Season 9 premiered on January 26, 2021.
Farrah Abraham is an American reality television personality, singer, pornographic actress, and writer. Born and raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa, she received public attention after being cast in the reality television series 16 and Pregnant in 2009, which documented the pregnancies and first months of motherhood for several young women. Later that year, she was cast in the spin-off series Teen Mom, and appeared in each of its four seasons until its conclusion in 2012. That August, she released her debut studio album and first memoir, both of which were titled My Teenage Dream Ended. The book made it onto The New York Times bestseller list.
Maci Bookout McKinney is an American reality television personality, author, and public speaker. Born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, she received public attention after being cast in the reality television series 16 and Pregnant in 2009, which documented the pregnancies and first months of motherhood for several young women. Later that year she was cast in the spin-off series Teen Mom, and appeared in each of its four seasons until its conclusion in 2012. In March 2015, Bookout, along with Catelynn Baltierra, Amber Portwood, and Farrah Abraham, returned to MTV for the fifth season of the show, renamed Teen Mom OG.
Teen Mom 2 is an American reality television series that premiered January 11, 2011 on MTV. It originally followed the lives of Jenelle Evans, Chelsea Houska-DeBoer, Kailyn Lowry, and Leah Messer from the second season of 16 and Pregnant as they navigate their first years of motherhood. The series also focuses on the themes of their changing relationships between family, friends, and boys, while highlighting the struggles of young mothers raising children.
Amber Leann Portwood is an American reality television personality and convicted criminal. From Anderson, Indiana, she is known for being cast in the reality television series 16 and Pregnant in 2009, which documented the pregnancies and first months of motherhood for several teenage girls. Portwood received particular public attention in 2010 where an episode documented Portwood's domestic violence against her partner, Gary Shirley, with Portwood eventually imprisoned for this and other crimes. She also went on to abuse her third partner Andrew Glennon.
Catelynn Baltierra is an American reality television personality, author, and public speaker. From Algonac, Michigan, she received public attention after being cast in the reality television series 16 and Pregnant in 2009, which documented the pregnancies and first months of motherhood for several young women. Later that year she was cast in the spin-off series Teen Mom, and appeared in each of its four seasons until its conclusion in 2012. In March 2015, Lowell returned to MTV for the fifth season of the show, renamed Teen Mom OG. Baltierra and now-husband Tyler also appeared on Season 3 of TV Show Couples Therapy.
Pregnancy when coupled with domestic violence is a form of intimate partner violence (IPV) where health risks may be amplified. Abuse during pregnancy, whether physical, verbal or emotional, produces many adverse physical and psychological effects for both the mother and fetus. Domestic violence during pregnancy is categorized as abusive behavior towards a pregnant woman, where the pattern of abuse can often change in terms of severity and frequency of violence. Abuse may be a long-standing problem in a relationship that continues after a woman becomes pregnant or it may commence in pregnancy. Although female-to-male partner violence occurs in these settings, the overwhelming form of domestic violence is perpetrated by men against women. Pregnancy provides a unique opportunity for healthcare workers to screen women for domestic violence though a recent review found that the best way in which to do this is unclear. Reducing domestic violence in pregnancy should improve outcomes for mothers and babies though more good quality studies are needed to work out effective ways of screening pregnant women.
Teen Mom 3 is an American reality television series that premiered on August 26, 2013, on MTV and concluded its run on November 18, 2013. It chronicles the lives of four girls from the fourth season of 16 and Pregnant as they navigate their first year of motherhood and changing social relationships. The series was announced on February 27, 2012, as the third installment of the Teen Mom franchise, coming one day before Teen Mom 2 concluded its second season. In December 2013, it was revealed by the cast, via Twitter, that Teen Mom 3 had been canceled after one season. In March 2017, it was announced that cast member Briana DeJesus would join the Teen Mom 2 cast for the eighth season. In July 2019, it was announced that cast member Mackenzie McKee would join the Teen Mom OG cast during the first half of the eighth season as a guest mom, before becoming a permanent cast member for the second half of the eighth season.
Teenage pregnancy in the United States occurs mostly unintentionally and out of wedlock but has been declining almost continuously since the 1990s. In 2022, the teenage birth rate fell to 13.5 per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19, the lowest on record. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this decline is due to abstinence and the use of contraception.
Teenage pregnancy is pregnancy in a girl between the ages of 13 and 19. The term used in everyday speech usually refers to girls who have not yet reached legal adulthood, which in Australia is anyone under the age of 18. At the national level, the teenage birth rate has declined in the last decade. The rate was about 16 babies per 1,000 women aged 15–19 years between 2011 and 2012 but this had fallen to 11.9 births per 1,000 women aged 15–19 in 2015, the lowest figure on record. Terminations can be performed up until the 12-week mark. About half of all teenage pregnancies are terminated in Australia.
Teen Mom UK is a British reality television series set in the United Kingdom. It is a spin-off of the American franchise Teen Mom. It currently airs on MTV. The series was first announced in September 2016. It currently follows the lives of four British teenage mums who are trying to make it through motherhood. From July 2017, the series is shown in the U.S. under the name Teen Mum.
Mackenzie Douthit is an American reality television personality from Miami, Oklahoma. She received public attention after being cast in the reality television series 16 and Pregnant in 2011, which documented the pregnancies and first months of motherhood for several young women. Later that year she was cast in the spin-off series Teen Mom 3 and appeared in its first and only season of that show, alongside Briana DeJesus, Alex Sekella and Katie Yeager, in 2013. McKee joined the cast of Teen Mom OG following the departure of Bristol Palin from the show in August 2019.
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