The Gloucester 18

The Realities of Teen Pregnancy

In 2008, eighteen high school girls from Gloucester, Massachusetts were accused of making a pact to become pregnant. The mainstream media perpetuated and sensationalized the story, with reporters flying in from as far away as Australia, the UK, and Brazil. THE GLOUCESTER 18 looks behind all the headlines and hype to tell the real stories of these girls, and in the process puts a human face on a startling statistic: that the United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the developed world.

The filmmakers draw on interviews with the girls, their families, high school counselors, physicians, and media personalities to unpack what really happened, and explore the complicated emotional and practical challenges faced by teens on the brink of motherhood. An excellent resource for high school health classes, teen pregnancy prevention programs, and courses in psychology, adolescent development, public health, and education.