TEENAGE PREGNANCY’S EFFECTS ON FEMALE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN FCT
Abstract
This study looked at the impact of adolescent pregnancy among female secondary school students in the FCT (A case study of some selected schools in FCT). The study’s entire population is 200 staff members from a selected secondary school in the FCT. The researcher collected data using questionnaires as the instrument.
This study used a descriptive survey research approach. The survey included 133 respondents who were made principals, vice principals, administration, senior staff, and junior employees. The acquired data was organized into tables and evaluated using simple percentages and frequencies.
chapter one
Introduction
The study’s context
The term “teenage pregnancy” cannot be addressed further without a quick explanation of what it means. Teenage pregnancy occurs when a teenage or underage female aged 13 to 19 becomes pregnant as a result of unprotected sexual intercourse.
It can also be interpreted as the pregnancy of a young girl aged 13 to 19, who is not married. Every year, thousands of teenagers become pregnant, posing a significant risk to themselves, their children, and society. While the facts are obvious, the challenges surrounding adolescent pregnancy are exacerbated by our contradictory attitudes and behaviors.
The negative effects of early delivery on underprivileged teenagers are apparent. Trying to separate the variables that contribute to adolescent pregnancy from the outcomes raises the question, “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” (Florida Statutes. Education, general provisions, and definitions. Florida State Board of Education, Tallahassee, FL, 1995).
It has been stated that educational failure is a negative result of teenagers falling pregnant and having children at a young age. But how can teenagers avoid being pregnant when sex dominates the media, younger and younger girls are depicted as sex objects, and sex is exploited to sell everything from products to news? Nonetheless, we are surprised by the growing number of sexually active teenagers.
If we are truly concerned about the welfare of babies, children, and adolescents, we must move beyond the moral panic and denial that so frequently distort the discussion in order to design an effective solution to these economic assumptions, wishful thinking, and honest acknowledgement that the causes of this problem are still unknown. The following are some of the causes of adolescent pregnancy:
Early pregnancy is regarded as a blessing and indication of a young woman’s fertility in some cultures.
In terms of adolescent sexual behavior, 29 percent of kids said they felt pressured to have sex, while 33 percent said they didn’t want to do it.
Teenage pregnancy is also caused by a lack of understanding about contraception or access to it, as well as fear and humiliation about seeking information about contraception.
Another factor is sexual abuse, which has been linked to 11-20% of adolescent pregnancy as a direct result of rape, and 60% of teenage moms had inappropriate sexual experiences prior to becoming pregnant.
Before the age of 15, the majority of girls’ first intercourse experiences are claimed to be nonvoluntary, and 25% of women who did not give birth as teenagers were molested.
Other elements that contribute to this problem include age differences in relationships, dating, aggression, social economic problems, poverty, childhood environment, greed, peer pressure, and so on.
Because of the established unfavorable impacts and causes on perinatal outcomes and long-term morbidity, teen pregnancy has become a public health issue.
However, the association of young maternal age is frequently complicated by the high frequency of poverty, poor level of education, which is our main focus, and single marital status among teenage moms. This study examines the independent influence of adolescent pregnancy on educational difficulties and challenges in a large number of children and teenagers who are moms.
Angola, G. “Dilemma of African Child” the spokes man newspaper and printing cooperation, 1973), he stated that adolescence is an important period of development in a female’s life, spanning from pre-puberty to young adulthood. Girls (teens) have a questioning mind and want to know and be taught the right attitude (s) (O. Margaret, Childhood and adolescent studies for successful instruction, revised edition, 1999.)
According to reports, the global rate of adolescent pregnancy ranges from 143 per 1000 in some nations. In industrialized countries, it is frequently outside of marriage and has a social shame in many groups and cultures; for these reasons, many research have been conducted to identify the causes and reduce the frequency of teen pregnancies.
Teenage pregnancy is a social concern in Nigeria, according to data that includes low educational levels, increased rates of poverty, and other bad life outcomes. In some parts of the country, adolescent pregnancy occurs inside marriage and is not stigmatized by peers. Being a young mother in a developing country such as ours can have an impact on one’s education.
Prior to becoming pregnant, teen mothers are more likely to drop out of school. Marriage and education are two factors that affect which mother is likely to have a closely spaced reported birth; the likelihood reduces with the young woman’s or her parents’ degree of education and increases if she marries.
These factors also add to the risk of adolescent pregnancy; for example, recent research indicate that the majority of adolescent moms had already dropped out of school before becoming pregnant. To summarize, information is power, so let us save our future by being sensible and pursuing and achieving success through education.
Statement Of The problem
Teenage pregnancy is on the rise at an alarming rate among female students in Nigeria, causing widespread concern among most individuals, families, and society. It is also one of the severe societal health issues that is gradually getting traction and spreading throughout the entire planet.
According to studies, teenagers are bound to contribute to this health issue. As a result, the purpose of this study is to look at the reasons and prevalence of adolescent pregnancy among female secondary school students in the FCT. This will go a long way toward exposing these students to information that will allow them to make educated decisions regarding their social health.
The study’s objective
The study’s aims are as follows:
To investigate the reasons of adolescent pregnancy in FCT secondary schools.
To investigate the link between adolescent pregnancy and academic achievement in secondary schools.
To determine the importance of the relationship between peer group influence and adolescent pregnancy.
To determine the relevance of the relationship between sex education knowledge (at school or at home) and adolescent pregnancy.
Hypotheses for research
The researcher developed the following research hypotheses in order to successfully complete the study:
H0: There are no reasons of adolescent pregnancy in FCT secondary schools.
H1: the reasons of adolescent pregnancy in FCT secondary schools
H02: There is no link between adolescent pregnancy and secondary school academic achievement.
H2: There is a link between adolescent pregnancy and secondary school academic achievement.
The study’s importance
This study will aid in educating the following individuals/groups on the repercussions of early pregnancy, educational attainment, and the considerable negative emotional and social effects of sexual behaviors leading to teenage pregnancy.
– Future mothers who wish to enjoy their family as a result of this study would abstain from sex in order to avoid ruining their future.
– Parents of these teenagers would benefit from avoiding humiliation or criticism from their peers.
– The society will also benefit because the society will be made up of planned offspring who are needed and will lower population.
– School officials would have more kids to educate with fervor and sincerity.
– Teenagers would avoid undesired pregnancy, STDs, and disgrace, as well as secure their future.
– The next generation and unborn children would be born into a well-planned, ordered, and prepared environment.
The study’s scope and limitations
The study’s scope includes the impacts of adolescent pregnancy among female secondary school students in FCT (A case study of some selected schools in FCT). The researcher comes upon a constraint that limits the scope of the investigation;
a) RESEARCH MATERIAL AVAILABILITY: The researcher’s research material is insufficient, restricting the scope of the investigation.
b) TIME: The study’s time frame does not allow for broader coverage because the researcher must balance other academic activities and examinations with the study.
1.7 TERM DEFINITION
The following are the definitions of special terminology used in the context of this research:
Teenage years range from 13 to 19.
Peers: Individuals who are equivalent in position, age, status, or merit.
Fertility: The state or condition of being fertile, or the ability to bear children.
Pregnancy: The condition or duration of being pregnant (having baby developing in the womb).
Insertion of a man’s penis into a woman’s vagina for sexual intercourse.
Sexual abuse is defined as the inappropriate use of sex by a stronger person on a weaker one.
Thins that are the outcome or effect of something else.
Contractive: Both natural and artificial methods of avoiding pregnancy are available.
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TEENAGE PREGNANCY’S EFFECTS ON FEMALE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN FCT