Basically never watching reality TV before, this sure was one to begin with.

Every episode features a girl who got pregnant at the age of 16 and the audience follows her from her sixth month of pregnancy until the baby is around three months old.

This episode is about Leah in West Virginia who is having twins. She leaves her boyfriend and gets pregnant with her “rebound” date and tries to stay with him to make a family. The relationship is shaky and when the babies are born the situation worsens. Leah has unrealistic expectations of what taking care of a baby would be like; she’s surprised she can’t go out at night.

All I kept thinking was what the parents had done to teach their teenagers about safe sex and if they had ever considered abortion.

“16 and Pregnant” is foremost two things.

First, it’s a sad depiction of miserable teenagers who are trapped in a life they don’t want for themselves.

Second, it’s a propaganda to teach American teenagers to have safe sex, or to just avoid sex all together.

It’s also an implication that even a girl who is seemingly responsible with contraception can end up in a bad position.

However, this show is also pure entertainment and like many other reality shows it gives the viewer the feeling of being better than the people on the show; in this case manage to not get pregnant when not wanting to.

Because I sure felt very happy to have made it to 22 without bringing a child into this world.