Report: MTV's 'Teen Mom' Partly Responsible for Low Teen Birthrates in U.S.

MTV shows such as Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant seem to be helping prevent teenage pregnancies. According to a new report, the number of U.S. teen girls giving birth has reached a record low, and the shows might be part of the reason.

The National Center for Health Statistics released the data from 2014 on Dec. 23, which showed the birthrate for girls between15 to 19 years old fell 9 percent from 2013 to an average of 24.2 births per 1,000 women.

Teen births have been declining for more than two decades; the birthrate for women ages 15 to 19 has fallen 61 percent since 1991.

In addition, Minnesota is one of the states that saw the biggest decrease teenage birth rates, as reported by Bring Me The News reports that Minnesota has seen the biggest decrease: Birthrates in 2014 were below the the national average at 15.5 births per 1,000 women, compared with 16.8 births per 1,000 women in 2013.

National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy spokesman Bill Albert told BuzzFeed News  only a few Americans are aware of the dramatic decline in teenage pregnancy and birth rates. "The majority of adults think it's going up, rather than going down," Albert said. "This is the greatest story never told."

Albert gives partial credit for the low to MTV's Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant, reality shows that track girls who got pregnant at young ages, which portray the harsh reality of teenage pregnancy. "Young people tell us that these shows are far more sobering than salacious," Albert said.

Teen Mom Season 5 will hit the air Jan. 4, 2016 on MTV. Watch the trailer, "The OG's Are Back," below.