Teenage pregnancy
Producers of "16 and Pregnant" have been criticized for their lack of diversity and inaccurate representation of teenage mothers within the cast. When comparing the mothers on "16 and Pregnant" to the U.S. National Vital Statistic Report on Teenage Pregnancy, researchers found MTV overrepresented births to mothers age 15-17 at the time of birth and also overrepresented white teenage mothers. Teenage pregnancy with mothers 15-17 years of age at birth accounted for 22% of the national average with teenage pregnancy for white mothers being reported at 22%. Within the first five seasons of "16 and Pregnant", white teenage mothers made up more than two-thirds of the show participants. 48% of the mothers were 16 at the time of birth, 39% were 17, and 11% were 18-19.