16 & Pregnant Alums Are ‘Really Proud’ of How Show Has Changed the Teenage Pregnancy Conversation (Exclusive)

When 16 & Pregnant first began to air in 2009, the show hit a nerve.

Across the country, people were discussing whether teen pregnancy should have such a prominent place in pop culture. There was already discourse around the subject — from The N's decision not to air Canadian TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation's pregnancy and abortion story arc in 2004 to 2007's Juno and 2008's The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

In came an MTV docuseries, narrowly predating what we think of as reality TV today, aimed to share the real ups and downs of unexpected teen pregnancies. They shared the stories of girls across the country — from bookworms to athletes — who were making big decisions about their futures, some without a partner or family's support.

The first-ever episode of 16 & Pregnant aired June 11, 2009, sharing Maci Bookout and Ryan Edwards' experience finding out that the dirt-bike-loving cheerleader was expecting and preparing to welcome their son, Bentley.

Two weeks later, audiences would be introduced to Amber Portwood and Gary Shirley, who filmed the show's pilot episode.

"We thought it was a scam," Gary laughs. "But they wanted us to do a casting video. They sent us a Flip camera and we did the video and sent it back. Next thing you know, they came out and filmed with us."

Season 1 would conclude with Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra's story, deciding on adoption for their daughter, Carly — a decision neither of their families was happy with. The couple moved forward with the difficult decision, determined to end generational trauma and start a family when they were better prepared for it.

Season 2 brought a new crop of moms, which included Leah Messer, whose episode aired in April 2010. Leah found herself expecting with boyfriend Corey Simms after just having started dating. The two found out they'd welcome twins, daughters Aliannah and Aleeah, born Dec. 6, 2009.

Sixteen years later, these families all find themselves in different places. Maci is a mom of three, sharing  Jayde, 9, and Maverick, 8, with husband Taylor McKinney. The two are enjoying a positive co-parenting relationship with Ryan and fiancée Amanda Conner, who recently welcomed their daughter, Presley. Presley joins Ryan's other children, Stella and Jagger, and Amanda's son, Brandon.

Gary and Amber went their separate ways, but he found happiness with wife Kristina. They share daughter Emilee, 10. Kristina has become a major presence in Leah's life, unafraid to step up in moments where Leah's relationship with Amber hasn't been its strongest.

Catelynn and Tyler continue to speak about adoption as they navigate changes in their own family's experience. The two are also devoted parents to daughters Rya, 3, Vaeda, 6, and Novalee, 10.

Leah and Corey also went on to split. The twin mom would later welcome daughter Adalynn, now 12, with ex Jeremy Calvert. She co-parents well with Corey, who is also dad to Remi, 9, with wife Miranda.

MTV celebrated 16 years of 16 & Pregnant by bringing together the cast in New York City earlier this year for a fun-filled celebration of the teens, past and present.

"I feel like there were so many emotions seeing the teenagers together. They are all just phenomenal humans — the way that they carry themselves, how respectful they are and how intelligent they are," Maci shares.

"But also, I feel like one of the huge blessings of the show is being around all the kids and seeing them be around each other and around the crew. Being on the show, I think has allowed them to be exposed and around and introduced to so many different walks of life and different cultures and all kinds of things. And I think it's really molded them into just really good, well-rounded kids."

The milestone celebration comes just as recent statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) indicate that "for the first time in 2023, there were more births among women 40 and older than there were to teenage girls."

Discussing the show's impact beyond their own lives, the cast is all mesmerized by how their truth was able to move the conversation.

"That was our goal from the very beginning, and that's what we wanted to achieve," Leah shares. "I truly feel like having those open conversations and being vulnerable, being transparent and sharing our stories, you see the result of it. That alone is empowering. That feels good, that you made such a huge impact."

"It's really special because not everyone has an opportunity in their life to really have an impact and be a part of a change for the better. And I just feel like it's really enlightening, it's really special, and I definitely don't take it for granted," Maci agrees.

"It holds a lot of weight for me. I do believe that the show had a massive impact on teen pregnancy. I think because of our show were, they were able to use us as an example and bridge that gap to have those conversations," she continues. "That's one of the things I'm really proud of, honestly, not just for myself, but for the show in general. I do feel like we made a big, and continue to make a big impact on the decisions that teenagers are making and awareness for parents and stuff. So it's really special."

"I remember when it first came out, we had to go on morning shows and pretty much defend the fact that we were not glamorizing teen pregnancy," Tyler recalls. "That was the big thing when it first came out, that girls would try to get pregnant after seeing us 'glamorizing' it."

"I'm glad that 16 years later we can prove that's not the case. There was a totally different thing that happened," he continued. "It's interesting to see that because we had to defend that a lot for the first few years about not glamorizing this thing, which is really traumatic and intense and life-changing, especially with adoption to be involved in our situation."

Agreeing, Gary adds, "I just hope it continues to have a positive impact as long as it's on, and in years to come."

Check out MTV's celebration of 16 years of the 16 & Pregnant journey on the Thursday, May 1 episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.