Teenage pregnancy, also known as adolescent pregnancy, is pregnancy in a female adolescent or young adult under the age of 20. Worldwide, pregnancy complications are the leading cause of death for women and girls 15 to 19 years old. The definition of teenage pregnancy includes those who are legally considered adults in their country. The WHO defines adolescence as the period between the ages of 10 and 19 years. Pregnancy can occur with sexual intercourse after the start of ovulation, which can happen before the first menstrual period (menarche). In healthy, well-nourished girls, the first period usually takes place between the ages of 12 and 13.
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.
The sexuality of US adolescents includes their feelings, behaviors and development, and the place adolescent sexuality has in American society, including the response of the government, educators, parents, and other interested groups.
Industrialized and developing 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.
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, it 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. However, the averages conceal significant ethnic or geographic differences within the nation. The birth rates for Hispanic and African-American teens were more than double those of European-American teens, while Asian-American adolescents have the lowest pregnancy and birth rates of all. As of 2015, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi had the highest adolescent birth rates in the Union.
Teenage pregnancy is a girl between the ages of 13 and 19 becoming pregnant. The term used in every day 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 McKee 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.
Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant is an American reality television series that premiered on March 12, 2018 on MTV. It is a spinoff of the Teen Mom franchise, which itself is a spinoff of MTV's 16 and Pregnant series. Teen Mom: Young + Pregnant is a docuseries similar to the original 16 and Pregnant format. It follows the lives of different teenage moms: Brianna Jaramillo, Kayla Sessler, Rachel Beaver, Kiaya Elliott, Madisen Beith and formerly Lexi Tatman, Jade Cline, Ashley Jones and Kayla Jones as they go through pregnancy and become young mothers.
Teen Mom: Family Reunion is a reality television series that is spun off from three of the network's reality shows: Teen Mom, Teen Mom 2, and Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant. The series premiered on January 11, 2022 on MTV.
