In western society, it’s becoming increasingly popular for girls to get pregnant at younger ages.

MTV’s 16 and Pregnant has shown us this.  A culture craze has developed around these girls and the troubles they have.

 Has having their lives broadcast for the rest of the world to see helped them? I think not.

The stress of having a baby during the teenage years and relationship problems is not made easy by having cameras showing every detail of the lifestyle that many members of society consider taboo.

These situations are less horrifying than others in different countries.

In Peru, five-year-old Lina Medina gave birth to a baby boy in 1939.

Medina was the victim of a medical condition called extreme precocious puberty. Due to this condition, she began menstruating at the age of eight months old and got pregnant at age five. Gerardo Medina was born May 14, 1939, and lived to be 40.

The father of the child was never revealed, but Medina’s father was suspected of rape and incest. All charges were dropped against him due to a lack of evidence.

Well, there you have it. Due to shows like 16 and Pregnant, young girls giving birth can seem like a recent trend. Ultimately, the only new trend is its publicity.

If young girls became more educated on self-worth, safe sex, and healthier lifestyle choices, pregnancies would become less frequent.