In real life, misguided teens think pregnancy is a wondrous adventure - that is, until they have to care for a baby on a daily basis. Baby moms "A teenage pregnancy immediately turns the odds against mother and baby," says Dayle Steinberg, president of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Young expectant mothers, the poor ones not depicted in Juno or on ABC Family, are more likely to risk unhealthy behavior (smoking, drinking) and less likely to receive prenatal care, putting mother and child at risk. Those 17 knocked-up girls of Gloucester didn’t simply make a pregnancy pact but an agreement that stagnates education, obstructs future career choices, and clogs income. Pregnant teens on television either have parents who briefly disapprove but continue to support them, or else they suffer “convenient” miscarriages, avoiding the topic of abortion so that the program won’t lose advertisers due to right-wing pressure. read more

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