As a new study found teen pregnancy rates are on the rise, Boston University students said they believe the media does not send the appropriate message on the subject.

According to Guttmacher Institute study released Jan. 26, the nation’s teen pregnancy rate rose in 2006 for the first time in over 10 years, climbing three percent.

The 2007 film ‘Juno’ was praised for its upbeat portrayal of teen pregnancy. However, it was not the first or the last to portray teenage pregnancies in a positive light. Popular TV shows like ‘Gilmore Girls’ and MTV’s ’16 and Pregnant’ also put a positive spin on teenage pregnancy.

‘All the movies and TV shows about teen pregnancy make it seem OK,’ said Alexis Amorosi, a College of Communication sophomore.

College of Fine Arts freshman Elizabeth Levens agreed.

‘In a way, media glamorizes teen pregnancy,’ she said.

College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Cathy Hu said she believes the characters in fictional films and books are the driving force behind teen pregnancy.’

‘We read all these books and watch all these movies where the characters really influence us,’ Hu said.

In contrast to films that popularize teen pregnancy, a new film called ‘The Pregnancy Pact,’ which debuted on Lifetime on Jan. 23, was inspired by the story of 17 students at Gloucester High School who allegedly made a pact to get pregnant together in 2008.

‘I think that the media has a great impact because everywhere you look the media is affecting you,’ said School of Management freshman Sahil Shah said. ‘They send so many different messages.’

Some organizations, like the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, work to try and prevent the pregnancy rate from rising any further.

‘The National Campaign seeks to improve the well-being of children, youth, families and the nation by preventing unplanned and teen pregnancy,’ their website said.

As part of the group’s efforts, they have created a website called stayteen.org where people can go to inform themselves about teenage pregnancy, watch videos of teenagers in such situations and read tips on having healthy relationships.

‘There are a lot of shows that make it look doable, like it’ll work out,’ said Jennifer Hur, a CAS sophomore. ‘I think a lot of kids don’t realize it’s not like that.’
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