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16 and Pregnant
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American reality television series
March 2025
16andpregnantcard.png Tragicomedy Lauren Dolgen United States English 6 70 List of 16 and Pregnant episodes Morgan J. Freeman
Dia Sokol Savage
Lauren Dolgen
Kevin T. Hunley
Andrew Portnoy
Sara Cohen
Janay Dutton
Jordan Dugger Multiple 11th Street Productions
MTV Production Development MTV 2009 6 11 2021 4 13 Teen Mom
Teen Mom 2
Teen Mom 3
Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant
16 and Recovering
16 and Pregnant is an American reality television series that aired from June 11, 2009, to July 1, 2014, on the cable channel MTV.MTV Chronicles the Challenges of Teen Pregnancy in '16 & Pregnant' Premiering on Thursday, June 11th at 10pm ET/PT http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2009/05/18/mtv-chronicles-the-challenges-of-teen-pregnancy-in-16-and-pregnant-premiering-on-thursday-june-11th-at-10pm-et-pt-31381/20090518mtv01/ The Futon Critic July 11, 2013 May 18, 2009 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.MTV Marks National Recovery Month with New Limited Series "16 and Recovering" Premiering Tuesday, September 1st at 9PM ET/PT http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2020/08/24/mtv-marks-national-recovery-month-with-new-limited-series-16-and-recovering-premiering-tuesday-september-1st-at-9pm-et-pt-524415/20200824mtv01/ The Futon Critic August 24, 2020
In September 2020, it was announced that a sixth season would premiere on October 6, 2020.First Look: 16 and Pregnant is Returning to MTV http://www.mtv.com/news/3170143/16-and-pregnant-return/ https://web.archive.org/web/20200922022833/http://www.mtv.com/news/3170143/16-and-pregnant-return/ dead September 22, 2020 MTV September 18, 2020
Episodes
List of 16 and Pregnant episodes
Reception
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."Bellafante Ginia Real Life Is Like 'Juno,' Except Maybe the Dialogue https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/arts/television/11sixteen.html The New York Times July 11, 2013 June 10, 2009
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.Marsh Wendell "Maci" and "Bentley" soar in baby name game https://www.reuters.com/article/us-babies-names-idUSTRE7447FO20110505 Reuters July 11, 2013 May 5, 2011
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".https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/26/upshot/duck-dynasty-vs-modern-family-television-maps.html 'Duck Dynasty' vs. 'Modern Family': 50 Maps of the U.S. Cultural Divide Katz Josh 2016-12-27 The New York Times
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.Martins, N., Malacane, M., Lewis, N., & Kraus, A. (2016). A Content Analysis of Teen Parenthood in "Teen Mom" Reality Programming. Health Communication,31(12),1548–1556. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2015.1089465 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%. Within the first five seasons of 16 and Pregnant, white teenage mothers made up more than two-thirds of the show participants. 48% of the mothers were 16 at the time of birth, 39% were 17, and 11% were 18–19.
Impact
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. 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. 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.Trudeau, J.(2016). The role of new media on teen sexual behaviors and fertility outcomes—The case of 16 and Pregnant. Southern Economic Journal, 82(3), 975–1003.https://doi.org/10.1002/soej.12034
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. 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.Martins, N., & Jensen, Robin, E. (2014). The Relationship Between "Teen Mom" Reality Programming and Teenagers' Beliefs About Teen Parenthood. Mass Communication & Society, 17(6), 830–852. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2013.851701 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.Jennifer Stevens Aubrey, Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz & Kyungbo Kim (2014)Understanding the Effects of MTV's 16andPregnant on Adolescent Girls' Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behavioral Intentions Toward Teen Pregnancy, Journal of Health Communication, 19:10,1145-1160, DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2013.872721
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 2008 financial crisis. 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.Melissa S. Kearney Phillip Levine January 14, 2014 Media Influences on Social Outcomes: The Impact of MTV's "16 and Pregnant" on Teen Childbearing https://www.brookings.edu/research/media-influences-on-social-outcomes-the-impact-of-mtvs-16-and-pregnant-on-teen-childbearing/ live December 5, 2021 Brookings https://web.archive.org/web/20170223202845/https://www.brookings.edu/research/media-influences-on-social-outcomes-the-impact-of-mtvs-16-and-pregnant-on-teen-childbearing/ 2017-02-23
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.Jaeger David Does Reality TV Induce Real Effects? On the Questionable Association Between 16 and Pregnant and Teenage Childbearing http://ftp.iza.org/dp10317.pdf Jan 1, 2017 Oct 31, 2016
Spin-offs
+Spin-offs of 16 and Pregnant TitleSeries premiereSeries finaleNo. ofseasonsTeen Mom 2009 12 8 2021 12 7 9Teen Mom 2 2011 1 11 2022 5 24 11Teen Mom 3 2013 8 26 2013 11 18 1Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant 2018 3 12 2022 9 13 3Teen Mom: Young Moms Club 2018 8 30 2019 5 20 1Teen Mom: Family Reunion 2022 1 11 3Teen Mom: Girls' Night In 2022 1 11 2022 12 27 2Teen Mom: The Next Chapter 2022 9 6 2
International versions
CountryTitleOriginal channelPremiere dateNo. of seasonsRef.UkraineВагітна у 16STBAugust 27, 20123Italy16 anni e IncintaMTVSeptember 23, 20138 https://www.vanityfair.it/show/tv/13/09/24/mtv-16-anni-e-incinta-italia-prima-stagione?refresh_ce= Mtv, ecco le "sedicenni incinte" italiane 24 September 2013 Serini Raffaella Vanity Fair Italia it 26 March 2024 March 27, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240327015126/https://www.vanityfair.it/show/tv/13/09/24/mtv-16-anni-e-incinta-italia-prima-stagione?refresh_ce= deadRussiaБеременна в 16UMarch 1, 20197
References
External links
1454730
16 and Pregnant. https://web.archive.org/web/20140116094714/http://www.tv.com/shows/16-and-pregnant/ 2014-01-16 on TV.com.
Casting Call
Category:2000s American high school television series
Category:2010s American high school television series
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Category:2009 American television series debuts
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Category:Television shows about teenage pregnancy
Category:MTV reality television series
Category:American television series about teenagers
Category:American television series revived after cancellation