CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines adolescence as a period covering ages between 10 and 19 years. This is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood and a distinct and important biological and social stage of development. Pregnancy in a girl between ages 10 and 19 years is termed adolescent or teenage pregnancy. Most of these pregnancies are unplanned and/or unwanted and the girls are immature both physically and psychologically. The most worrying scenario is the large number of teenagers who having terminated their pregnancies or given birth becomes pregnant again in the next 12 months. Understanding the perception of adolescents about issues surrounding teenage pregnancy is very important in planning efficient health education interventions in the future. Baral submitted that pregnancy continues to be a complex and challenging issue for families, health workers, educators, societies, governments and adolescent (teenagers). Teenagers constitute a high risk group that requires a high priority services. Adolescent child bearing is heavily concentrated among the poor and low income teenagers most of whom are unmarried. Teenage mothers seemed to be at high maternal and prenatal risks, therefore; it should be discouraged in order to improve adolescent reproductive health. Bradley pointed out that teenage pregnancies occur in rural areas where girls marry early when they are immature either physically and psychologically. Teenage pregnancy and sexual permissiveness seems to be increasing in many countries, thus the responsibility and result of becoming teenage parents need to be discussed with boys and girls because many teenage pregnancies result in abortion with physiologic and emotional complications.
Some life circumstances places girls at high risk of becoming teen mothers. The main factors responsible for teenage pregnancy are poverty, poor parenting and the effect of mass media. Poverty is strongly correlated with adolescents’ mother or having a sister who has become pregnant are critical life events for becoming a teen mother. Other factors associated with teenage pregnancy include – low social values and low self-esteem of girls, assault and low level of contraceptive use. In addition, Bradley pointed out that early pubertal development, lack of attentive and nurturing parents, culture and patterns of early sexual experience, lack of school performance were predictors of early sexual intercourse. Forest also posited the potential risk factors for a teenage girl to have early sexual behavior to include having multiple sexual partners, early use of alcohol or substance abuse, and lack of academic achievement.
United Nations identified adolescent pregnancy to be associated with higher rates of morbidity and mortality for mother and infant, and asserted that, teenage mothers are at risk of socio-economic disadvantage in their life time than those who delay child bearing until they are above twenty years of age; the younger the mother, the greater, the likelihood that, she and her baby will experience health complications. The vulnerability of adolescent female heightens due to biological and social reasons and they are prone to pregnancy and childbearing complications such as, obstructed labour, retardation of fetal growth, premature birth, and vesico-vaginal fistula. They are also prone to abortion, sexually transmitted infections and other social vices such as substance abuse.
Baral also submitted that teenage mothers seem to be at higher risk of prenatal complications with child bearing. They have a higher incidence of low birth weight babies, and these babies are usually associated with birth injuries, serious childhood illnesses and mental/physical disabilities. Teenage pregnancy affects the academic performance of adolescents as it could lead to lack of involvement at school and/or drop out of school, and the children of teenage mothers are likely to be at greater risk of low intellectual mothers and academic achievement. It also hampers the further education of female adolescents and consequently earning capacity and over all well-being. It threatens the adolescent girls’ educational career and their future economic prospects as well. Psychological and social problems implicated in adolescents’ pregnancy include school interruption, persistent poverty, unmarried opportunity, separation from the child’s father, divorce and repeat pregnancy.
WHO stated that an approach for prevention of teenage pregnancy would be to create awareness and encourage abstinence through educational program, clinic focused program to bring about behavioural change in the teens and effective contraceptive use. Forest posited that adolescent sex education to prevent teenage pregnancy has recently gained importance for risk of sexually transmitted infections, premarital sex and pregnancy. Selective and successful sex education program can decrease sexual activity and increase contraceptive use in sexually active youths.
Herman & Giddens, (2000) reported that females who were sexually abused as children were three times more likely to become pregnant during their adolescent years and usually became pregnant at a younger age. Excess freedom on the part of the girls may be misused. It creates opportunities for sexual relationship and changing life styles. Abuse and misused of freedom by adolescent girl often leads them to an early pregnancy (Olamide, 2006). Briggs (2009), added that adolescent without proper supervision by their parents in early dating behaviour may likely result to pregnancy. This could also occur as a result of improper monitoring of the activities of children on the part of the parents, pornography is the depiction of erotic activities through motion or still pictures or literature with the intention to arouse sexual excitement. It is a major contributing factor to adolescent pregnancy as adolescents being highly impressionable to practice what they have seen and read (Rice, 2000).
- STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The issue of teenage pregnancy is no longer a new thing in Ejigbo local Government area of Osun State. Various reasons have been advanced for its existence but the basic problem is the persistency and the geometric progression of its expansion despite all the efforts that has been made by both government, schools, religious organizations and non – governmental organizations at resolving some identified factors leading to this cankerworm in Ejigbo Local Government area. Furthermore, the situation of teenage pregnancy is at an alarming rate in Osun state as a result of the following factors perceived to be the causes which include curiosity of the adolescence to find out what sex is like, peer group influence, mass media influence while the effects include school dropout, inadequate care for the child born by teenage mother, health problems etc.
Most pregnancies by adolescent are described as unwanted. It is so described because it stops the girl-child from schooling as soon as it occurs, thus truncating her future. There is no provision of the education law that allows pregnant students in secondary schools. So, this has a serious implication for school population by the pregnant adolescent girl-child. For the young mother, the risks of child bearing became catastrophic in secondary school and early pregnancy usually terminates her chance of going back to school. Sometimes, adolescent pregnancy results among adolescents who form friends with members of the opposite sex based on self-identity, self-definition and self-interest. The girls are attracted to going out with the most popular boys in school or neighbourhood not knowing the implication of what they are into. Adolescent pregnancy could cause poor academic performance in school and a girl might have to drop out of school. Adolescent pregnancy and early motherhood could be associates with poverty; most girls who fall victims of pregnancy come from lower socioeconomic group. It has been observed that adolescents who engaged in sexual behaviour put them at the risk of having sexually transmitted infections. A girl who becomes pregnant at an early age is believed to have lost her self-esteem or value.
Teenage pregnancy is on the increase at an alarming rate among female secondary school students in Nigeria, which has caused a lot of concern to most individuals, families and the society at large. It is also one of the many serious social health problems which is gradually gaining ground and spreading which is now in the whole wide world.
This project is to look into the effect of teenage pregnancy among secondary school. Millions of children return from school to an empty house because both parents are of the working class, which has set the stage for many teenage pregnancies. Many parents feel that their young ones will be taught sex education in school while the schools have failed to meet that demand. So there is no good foundation of sex education both in school and at home.
The media has shown to also be a strong formidable force for sexual activities and education. Teenagers usually spend more time watching sex and violation of sexual right on TV and they are more likely to practice these behaviors in real life and have multiple sexual partners. In this computer age, children do not need to have computer in their homes before using one, the use of computer have increased in many countries including Nigeria.
Some teenagers are willing to accept sex if they are paid and some adult encourage teens sex by deliberately taking advantage of their being poor. Most parents fail to understand their children, and do not have a close relationship with their children as a result, find it difficult to confide matters to their partners.
- AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The main aim of the study is the effect of teenage pregnancy among secondary school student. Other specific objectives include:
1. to examine the effect of teenage pregnancy among secondary school student.
2. to investigate the Causative factors of Teenage Pregnancy among secondary school students in Ejigbo local government Osun state.
3. to examine ways to curb or eradicate teenage pregnancy among secondary school students in Ejigbo local government Osun state.
4. to examine the education Level of Parents and Prevalence of Adolescent Pregnancy in secondary schools in Ejigbo local government Osun state.
- RESEARCH QUESTION
1. what is the effect of teenage pregnancy among secondary school student?
2. what are the Causative factors of Teenage Pregnancy among secondary school students in Ejigbo local government Osun state?
3. what are the ways to curb or eradicate teenage pregnancy among secondary school students in Ejigbo local government Osun state?
4. what is the education Level of Parents and Prevalence of Adolescent Pregnancy in secondary schools in Ejigbo local government Osun state?
- STATEMENT OF RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
1. H0: teenage pregnancy has no significant effect among secondary school student of Ejigbo local government Osun state.
2. H1: teenage pregnancy has a significant effect among secondary school student of Ejigbo local government Osun state.
- SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The necessities to have teenagers make the right decisions, pick appropriate friends view others with value or importance and become better mothers and fathers. Now that there is much controversy and confusions as regards sex and morals, has made this project very relevant to our moral society to the nation, making (practical suggestions) available to all at the appropriate time become next in priority.
This study will provide useful information to parents on how to educate their children and solve their sexual health and reproductive problems. Furthermore, health practitioners will acquire sufficient factual information’s in establishing meaningful information with teenage clients and the community in order to reduce teenage pregnancies in secondary schools.
The study may serve has a spring for future similar research efforts by other researchers.
- SCOPE OF STUDY
The scope of study will cover the effect of teenage pregnancy among the secondary school student: a case study of ejigbo local government osun state.
- LIMITATION OF STDUY
1. Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
2. Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.
- DEFINITION OF TERMS
Effect: a change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.
Teenage pregnancy: is employed to refer to girl child below the age of 18years performing physical and psychological functions of an adult related to motherhood.
Sex: (chiefly with reference to people) sexual activity, including specifically sexual intercourse.
