What if you received a text message from your 16-year-old daughter that simply stated, "Mom, I'm pregnant"?

That's exactly what happened in the June 11th episode of MTV's 16 and Pregnant. As the story unfolds, viewers watch the lives of two happy, carefree teenagers turn upside down as they take on the overwhelming responsibilities of becoming parents at such a young age.

 
From Maci's point of view, the months surrounding the pregnancy have all the makings of a fairytale as she and her boyfriend, Ryan, move into a cute little one-bedroom apartment. Maci thrives on all the attention from her girlfriends as they tour her new living quarters and squeal with delight when they feel her baby kick. The baby shower merely serves as icing on the cake! And while Maci's exuberant enthusiasm is obvious to all, Ryan appears to be anything but enthused about the prospects of becoming a father.

But then, Maci's fairytale comes to a screeching halt once she and Ryan find themselves caring for a newborn 24/7. Ryan makes it clear he prefers spending time with his friends over changing diapers and caring for a screaming baby, and Maci now faces a never ending struggle of juggling motherhood with school and a part-time job.

 
At the conclusion of the show, their baby is about four months old. Maci can be overheard on the phone saying Ryan is no longer interested in getting married and she's thinking it would be better if she moves back home with her parents.   

At the conclusion of the 40 minute video, my heart ached after watching the struggles these two kids were facing. Then I thought - what an amazing way to promote abstinence! How could any teenage boy or girl want to have sex and risk a pregnancy after viewing the reality of this show?

Then I remembered Bristol Palin echoing those same words a few weeks ago when People magazine quoted her as saying, "Girls need to imagine and picture their life with a screaming newborn baby and then think before they have sex... Think about the consequences... If girls realized the consequences of sex, nobody would be having sex... Trust me. Nobody." Click here to read the full article at People.com.

 

The MTV video I've described is the first of six shows that will air on MTV on Thursday nights at 9 CDT.  Each episode will feature a different 16-year-old pregnant girl.  It appears each video will be available online after it premieres on TV. Click here to view the first video at MTV.com. 
 
Warning:  Before you share this video with your teen, please view it and determine if it is appropriate and fits your family values. I was impressed with the reality of this first video. I believe most teenagers (and that includes your sons) would greatly benefit from it, but please note that at the time I'm writing this article, the other five shows have not aired or been posted on the Internet. Therefore, I cannot recommend or make comments on the content or appropriateness of the other shows. So please take the time to preview these before sharing them with your teenagers