Days after a study tying one MTV show to a drop in teen birth rates was released, the network revealed that another one of its shows will prominently feature one of its stars undergoing an abortion.
Jenelle Evans told the Stir that she let Teen Mom 2 film the termination of her pregnancy, and accepted that there would be backlash to the decision. As featured on an earlier iteration of the show, 16 & Pregnant, the 22-year-old had previously given birth to a child, but said she “needed to do what I needed to do” at the time of the abortion, given the instability in her life, including the state of her relationship and a recent arrest.
Evans, who learned of her pregnancy when she went to the doctor for bronchitis, said she has no regrets about the abortion, and that her personal situation has improved. “I want [critics] to understand why I did it and where I was at and where I am now and how much better I am now and that it’s okay to have a baby now,” she said.
Over at LifeNews, Steven Ertelt wonders what sort of impact showing the abortion will have. On one hand, the visuals could change abortion-rights advocates’ opinion on the matter cause them to see it more as a termination of life; on the other hand, the show could downplay the process without acknowledging the killing of an unborn child.
Teen Mom 2’s fifth season premieres Tuesday, January 21.