’16 And Pregnant’ documentary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday 14th April 2010

MTV’s ’16 And Pregnant’ Continues To Document The Challenges Of Teen Pregnancy

After a hugely successful rating first series, MTV continues to give viewers an inside look at one of the most controversial and thought-provoking topics in the popular MTV docu-series, “16 and Pregnant”. The second series premieres on MTV NZ on May 10th

With statistics showing that New Zealand has the highest rate of births per 1000 woman aged 15-19 out of all OECD countries, teen pregnancy is an extremely relevant topic in New Zealand.

According to Family Planning NZ, there are upwards of 3,800 babies born to teenage parents in New Zealand every year. The vast majority of these pregnancies are unplanned, despite the availability of sex education and access to contraception.

Family Planning Chief Executive Jackie Edmond says talking with young people about the impact of an unplanned pregnancy on their lives, and the lives of those around them, is important.

“Discussions with young people need to establish that parents are non-judgmental and willing to discuss varying points of view. We think it’s important that parents are the first sexuality educators of their children. Encouraging discussion by initiating it sensitively, casually and relatively often, and using cues such as television programmes or news stories, are the best way to get these kinds of conversations started,” Ms Edmond says.

“16 and Pregnant” looks inside the lives of ten teenagers as they face the challenges that come with being a young parent. For 5-7 months, the series follows these teens as they navigate the unfamiliar territory and uncertainty of being pregnant.

The show captures every moment and reaction in real-time, including several of the births. From a cheerleader expecting twins to a young girl grappling with a potential family adoption, the new season tackles tough issues including strained relationships, balancing school with new responsibilities, gossip, health issues and financial hardships. Cameras continue to follow the teens for a significant amount of time after they gave birth to document how they cope with taking care of their infants while trying to maintain a semblance of their teenage life.

Online, www.MTV.co.nz will continue to offer exclusive scenes you didn’t see on-air, sneak peeks, blog updates from the moms, and exclusive original content which will feature exclusive post reunion interviews with the entire cast.

“If you have no other involvement in your kids' media lives, make them see this… such a socially responsible documentary series.” Baltimore Sun Newspaper

16 and Pregnant: Season Two premieres on MTV NZ on May 10th at 9.30pm.

www.mtv.co.nz

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