Reportedly, a Massachusetts city is investigating an apparent teenage “pregnancy pact” in which 17 girls (many of which are 16 years of age or younger) from a Massachusetts high school are reportedly pregnant and expecting babies.

A high school health clinic in the city of Gloucester became suspicious after seeing a surge in girls seeking pregnancy tests. Local officials said Thursday nearly half of those who became pregnant appear to have entered into a pact to have their babies together over the year.

Reportedly, nationwide, teen pregnancies are showing signs of rising after steadily declining from 1991 to 2005. This trend was highlighted Thursday when Britney Spears’ 17-year-old sister Jamie Lynn, star of Nickelodeon’s popular TV show “Zoey 101,” gave birth to a baby girl, according to People magazine.