Seventeen-year-old Christinna used to not care about football – that is, until she began dating Isiah, the star of the high school football team. She graduated high school early to attend college with him, working to become an English teacher. However, both of their plans were put on hold when Christinna discovered that she was pregnant.

Christinna was one of the nearly 20 girls appearing on season two of MTV’s “16 and Pregnant.” The show highlights the extremely demanding lives of expecting teens and new teen parents, as they juggle high school, their relationships and their infants. With its catchy theme song and doodle-like transition graphics, and its unique look into the lives of a group of teenage parents, “16 and Pregnant” regularly attracts over two million viewers.

While the show receives criticism for “glamorizing” the lives of teen parents, a new study found that watching “16 and Pregnant” may actually have a positive effect on teens’ understanding of unplanned pregnancy. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unwanted Pregnancy, 82% of the teenagers surveyed who reported watching “16 and Pregnant” also believe the show has helped them better understand the trials of teen pregnancy and parenthood, as well as how to avoid them.

According to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate dropped 6% in 2009 after a 5% increase from 2005 to 2007. Bill Albert, a spokesman for the National Campaign, noted in a statement on the survey that while the public often attacks the prevalence of teen pregnancy in the media, its presence can be positively channeled toward important dialogue between parents and their teens. Many students agree that shows like “16 and Pregnant” really make them think twice about teenage parenthood.

“It makes you really not want to have sex after you see the show,” sophomore Marialexis Arvanitopoalos said. “You see all that they [the teen moms] have to go through, their struggles, and their  issues. It really makes you think ‘Do I want to go through what they have to go through, or do I want to be a free-spirited teenager?’”