The Causes And Effect Of Teenage Pregnancy Among Female Secondary School Students In Nigeria

The Causes And Effect Of Teenage Pregnancy Among Female Secondary School Students In Nigeria
Abstract
The study was designed to investigate a research on a study of the causes and effects of teenage pregnancy on the female secondary school students. The subject used consisted of 200 students randomly selected from five (5) secondary schools in Enugu east Local Government Area. A structure questionnaire designed by the investigator was used to sought opinion of the respondents in five hypotheses formulated for the study. Percentage and Chi-square (X2) statistical were used to analyze the data collected at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The result revealed that family background affect perception of teenage pregnancy and their age level. Religion and self determination were the major reason why secondary school students who are female avoid sex. Based on this, it is therefore recommended among others that, the study could be extended to other state so that interstate generalization can be attempted. The researcher could follow up this research in order to know whether sexual activities and pregnancies are increasing or not among Enugu east Secondary School students.
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Teenage pregnancy is the pregnancy that occurs between the ages of 13 – 19 years in a girl’s life. It is an accident/unexpected pregnancy mainly because of the developmental stage of the hopeful mother. Teenage pregnancy is one of the most common problems that is growing worldwide. This condition is most prevalent in developed countries like United State and United Kingdom and others. However, the developing and under-developed countries are not left behind though the number of teenage pregnancies in developed countries is much higher as compared to that of the developing and under-developed countries. The term teenage pregnancy is being used because it refers to those who get pregnant before reaching legal adulthood i.e. those between the group 13 – 17 years. It is a condition in which the teenagers become unintentionally pregnant. In the United State each year about 900, 000 teenage girls 13 to 19 become pregnant, and of these pregnancies are unplanned or unwanted. In most of these pregnancies about 51% end in labour, 35% are terminated by therapeutic abortion, and about 14% end in miscarriage or still birth and more than half of the teens who give birth keep their babies for adoption.
However, a number of the causes and effects of teenage age pregnancy are still debatable. In the developed countries, the main causes of teenage pregnancy is the result of inadequate sex education among the teenagers, alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, higher rates of poverty, lower educational level etc. Those things responsible for teenage pregnancy in the developing and under-developed countries are quite different from that of the causes given above. Financial constraints, domestic or sexual violence, child marriage, media exhibiting sex and pornography to sell their stuffs etc are some of the factors that cause unwanted pregnancy among teenagers.
Moreover, the incident of teenage pregnancy, like any other phenomenon or problem has physiological, sociological and psychological effects on individuals and as well as the society. similarly, different geographical regions have various explanations for teenage pregnancy, the campaign also gave lecture on education seen as being biological and not involved with the emotions, where the media portrays a glamorized vision of sex showing the consequences or uses of contraceptives given the adolescent young girls the impression that unprotected sex is safe and consequently free.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
It has been reported that teenage pregnancy is one the most common problem in Nkwo Nike Community, despite all the effort being put up by the various government agencies, the problem still persist.
Some of these problems are:
- Increase in the rate of drop-out in school in Nkwo Nike Community.
- Increase in the incident of criminal abortion as a result of unwanted pregnancy.
- The risk of pregnancy related complications as a result of inadequate antenatal care.
- The risk of mortanal death as a result of teenage pregnancy.
- The teenage pregnancy is a problem of families and the communities because some parents may not even have money to take care of them before delivery and even after delivery.
- Children born to teenage mothers are more likely to be premature, of low birth weight.
1.3 Research Question
- What are the possible causes of teenage pregnancy on adolescent?
- What are the possible ways of preventing teenage pregnancy among adolescent?
- Can lack of sex education lead to teenage pregnancy?
- Does lack of ante-natal care lead to death of teenage mother?
- Can use of condom prevent pregnancy?
- Can poor family background lead to teenage pregnancy?
1.4 Research Objectives
Specifically the objectives of the study are:
- To identify the causes of teenage pregnancy ages 13 to 19 years in Nkwo Nike Community in Enugu East Local Government Area, of Enugu State.
- To identify ways of preventing teenage pregnancy.
- To educate the youths on the health implication of teenage pregnancy so as to curb it in the society.
- To identify how often teenage girls go to antenatal clinic during pregnancy.
- To educate them on the use of condom when making love with their partners to avoid teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease.
- To identify the incidence of low birth weight (premature babies) among adolescent.
1.5 Significance of the Study
- The findings of this study will help the teenagers to easily identify the predisposing factors and its effects in the society in order to know the ways of reducing it in Nkwo Nike Community
- It is also hoped that the government as a model for linking organizing seminars and workshop will also find the study useful.
- To promote and maintain good physical and mental health during pregnancy, labour and puerperium.
- The result of this study will make the public to know the causes of teenage pregnancy, its preventive measures and possible solution.
- It will enlighten the parents on the importance of creating awareness on sex education among their children.
1.6 Limitation of the Study
This study is limited to Nkwo Nike Community on the causes of teenage pregnancy between the ages 13 to 19 years. Due to time factor and lack of finance.
1.7 Delimitation of the Study
The geographical coverage of the study would be limited to Nkwo Nike Community in Enugu East Local Government Area due to time factors.
1.8 Definition of Terms
1. Teenage:
The stage of development between childhood and adulthood. It begins with the start of puberty.
2. Pregnancy:
The period during which a woman carries a developing fetus, normally in the uterus compare to ectopic pregnancy.
3. Puberty:
This is the stage where a person’s sexual organs are developing; she becomes capable of having children.
4. Labour:
A strong and continuous contraction of the uterus during which fetus, placenta and membrane are expelled from the uterus through the birth canal.
5. Condom:
A thin rubber covering, that a man wear over his penis during sexual intercourse to stop or prevent a woman from becoming pregnant or protect against disease.
6. Antenatal Care:
This is the supervision and attention given to women who are pregnant before they deliver.
8. Abortion:
Is the interruption of pregnancy before 28 weeks of gestational age
9. Sex:
Is the physical activities between two people i.e. a man and a woman in which they touch each other’s sexual organs and which may lead to sexual intercourse.
10. WHO:
World Health Organization.
Chapter Five
Discussion of Findings, Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation
5.1 Discussion of Findings
Based on the analysis of the study carried out on the area, it was revealed from table 2 that poverty is the main causes of teenage pregnancy among (13 to 19) years and has contributed largely to isolation, discrimination and hatred of pregnant adolescent in the community. Poverty is rampant in Nigeria and effort should be made to reduce its burden.
Lack of parental are and indecent dressing as shown in table 3 is the predisposing factor to teenage pregnancy that could lead them to raping and parent should take the responsibility of educating their children in the implication of improper dressing.
Using trained health personnels to provide adequate and effective sex education and teach the teenagers about their menstruation cycle and other things that can lead to teenage pregnancy in our various primary, secondary, and other school of learning especially in the rural area where issue of teenage pregnancy is rampant can help to reduce or stop the unwholesome practice as indicated in table 5 and 7. Antenatal care is essential to detect problems associated with pregnancy, labour and giving prompt treatment to reduce its complications.
In table 10, it was shown that the percentage of teenage mothers that receive antenatal care are low, and it shows that pregnant mothers who do not attend antenatal care services are at higher delivery complication as a result of undiscovered underlying factors such as anemia in pregnancy, malaria in pregnancy, eclampsia and infections that could lead to the death of the teenage mothers.
Finally teenage pregnancy can be prevented through sex education, avoidance of bad friends, not being too exposed to relationship and doing because others are doing.
This indicated that the objective of the study has been achieved.
5.2 Summary
It was discovered that teenage pregnancy is one of the most common problem that is growing in the world due to lack of sex education. Pregnancy among young girls aged 13 to 19 years in Nkwo Nike Community of Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State has become uncontrollable due to ignorance and illiteracy among youth in this community.
The report from the researcher shows that they indulge in at risk pregnancies, giving birth when they are underage and when they are not yet married. Other causes of teenage pregnancy are frustration, lack of sex education, sex abuse, lack of parental guidance and poverty. All these can lead to teenage pregnancy.
Health education of the teenagers is highly solicited for the implication of receiving health services from untrained health personnel and quacks which have put them at the peak of early death. Unavailability of properly trained health personnel in the rural area have limited the provision of antenatal care and health education of the pregnant young girls in order to reduce or if possible eradicate teenage pregnancy in the area.
5.3 Conclusion
The researcher has tried to discuss and analyze the problems associated with teenage pregnancy aged 13 to 19 years and proffer solution in preventing and controlling the occurrence with particular reference to Nkwo Nike community.
Table 1 of section B in chapter 4 shows that majority of the community members have witnessed teenage pregnancy while table 2 shows that the major causes of teenage pregnancy is poverty, followed by ignorance about their menstruation cycle in table 7 and table 5 shows that it can be prevented through sex education in the various primary, secondary and tertiary institution especially in the rural area were teenage pregnancy is rampant.
5.4 Recommendations
Based on the findings of this research study the researcher put forward the following recommendations as the ways to fight to stop teenage pregnancy in the community and our country at large.
- They should make sex education compulsory in primary, secondary schools and tertiary institutions so that the young girls will understand their menstruation cycle.
- There should be active community mobilization and involvement to fight against teenage pregnancy by parent taking adequate care of their children and help educate them about sex.
- The government should urgently carry out massive employment of health workers who will health educate the society about sex education from primary level to tertiary level so that the youths benefits from it.
- Government should make impact on the poverty eradication programme since poverty is among the major causes of teenage pregnancy.


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