MTV plans '16 & Pregnant' reality show

NEW YORK, May 18 (UPI) -- MTV Monday announced plans to air a new U.S. reality series called "16 & Pregnant," which will document the true stories of several pregnant teens.

The series is slated to debut June 11 and will be comprised of six one-hour episodes, the network said.

"MTV has a long history of reflecting the lives of our viewers with compelling reality stories," Tony DiSanto, MTV's president of programming, said in a statement. "'16 & Pregnant' follows the journey of six young women going through an immensely life-changing experience at such a young age. Each episode tells a new, unique story and shows the real-life challenges they face from dealing with family and friends to school and finances as new mothers. This is the real secret life of an American teenager."

"Given that the teen birth rate is on the rise for the first time in a generation, MTV's '16 & Pregnant' is extremely timely," added Sarah Brown, chief executive officer of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. "We applaud MTV for using their unique and compelling style of storytelling to bring this important programming to their devoted audience. The show provides an honest portrayal of the challenges of too-early pregnancy and parenthood. The stories in '16 & Pregnant' are full of hope, heartbreak, and real-life consequences and should be a must viewing for teens nationwide."