Media Influence of Teenage Pregnancy

In 2012, 305,420 babies were born to females ages 15-19, resulting in 29.4 births for every 1,000 adolescent females (Hamilton). While teenage pregnancies were once considered normal and expected for young women to ensure lifelong stability, it is now considered a taboo subject. MTV's reality television show, 16 and Pregnant, which began in 2009, has popularized pregnancy among adolescent females. Glamorization of the subject has shown to be the top reason for the increased risk of becoming pregnant during adolescent years. Although statistical trends have declined over time within teen pregnancy, roughly 40% of females in the U.S. will become pregnant before their 20th birthdays, with 50% giving birth each year and around 45% receiving abortions (OAH). Approximately 85% of these pregnancies are unplanned, and 7.2% do not receive medical care (OAH). Teen pregnancy has become a trend in the United States, with MTV's 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom showcasing the lives of pregnant teenagers during the end of their pregnancies and their days of motherhood. While the show advocates for the use of contraception and abstinence, there is still much speculation as to whether or not this is helping or harming society. The NBER Bulletin on Aging and Health reports that 16 and Pregnant led to more searches and tweets regarding birth control and abortion, ultimately leading to a 5.7% reduction in teen births in the 18 months following its introduction, accounting for around one-third of the overall decline in teen births in the United States (Kearney and Levine).