Recent pregnancy TV shows are showing a close-up of teens going through their nine months of pregnancy and their delivery process. The show called “Teen Mom” follows these teens as they begin their new life with their child. Particular television shows have the intentions of informing teens about the hardships teen moms have to go through and the changes that have to be made when becoming a mom, with a spin of information about safe sex.
The controversy about if these shows are getting their safe sex point across or if they are influencing more teens to get pregnant has been going on for quite a few years now.
MTV’s 16 and Pregnant says that 82% of teens say the hit series helps them understand the trials of parenthood. They argued that according to a new government study, U.S. teen birthrates has decreases dramatically in 2009 after a 5% increase from 2005 to 2007. And a report by National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy recognizes “16 and Pregnant,” specifying that 82% of teenagers credit the hit show in helping them understand the challenges that come with unexpected parenthood.
However, according to Huffpost Health the U.S. teen birth rate in 2009 fell to its lowest point in almost 70 years of record-keeping – a decline that stunned experts who believe it’s partly due to the recession. As many people know the recession has caused many people to cut back their spending on many things, but some wonder if this really does affect the rate of pregnancies.
The controversy has also stemmed from the fact that these teen moms have become very well known and famous throughout the years. These teens not only have their own TV show, but they frequently have their own articles in magazines. People have mentioned that girls want to get pregnant just to be on the show, which is shocking to some. Other people say that girls would never get pregnant just to be on a reality TV show. But just like we’ve witnessed with some Hollywood stars, people will do anything for fame.
It’s clear thatmany people have different views on the subject. Some say the decline in birth rate is due to MTV’s reality shows, while others blame the recession. More than likely both have played a small role in the decline. However, many teen pregnancies are “accidents,” so can a show or a recession really stop teens from making this kind of a “mistake”?
The positive thing about the show that no one can argue against is that they inform teens about safe sex. The teenage girls who are pregnant or have just become teen moms always mention how they did not practice safe sex. Also, at the end of every show a website is provided to further inform teens about safe sex. On the season finales, the famous Dr. Drew talks about safe sex and asks the stars of the shows what they have learned about it.
The controversy about whether or not these two shows are beneficial or not will most likely be going on for a while longer considering how popular they have become. One thing that does not need to be debated about, is whether or not the shows are informing teens about safe sex, and showing what will happen if they do become pregnant at a young age.