THE CAUSES AND EFFECT OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY AMONG FEMALE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF ENUGU EAST LGA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 

          The number of teenagers given birth each year is staggering. In fact, of the slightly more than 10% of all births worldwide-almost a million are of young mothers-teenagers. Before proceeding forward we will want to know what teenage pregnancy is all about. According to Oxford English Dictionary teenage pregnancy are children between the ages of 13 to 19 that get pregnant. Nigeria’s birth rate for adolescents is one of the highest in the world and the prevalence among female adolescents in Nigeria of sexual transmitted infections including HIV is climbing rapidly. I an effort to reduce the high pregnancy rate by teenagers, including other problems, Nigeria developed a national reproduction health policy in the year 2000 that focuses on preventing risk sexual behaviors during adolescence (national Population commission, Nigeria demographic and Health Survey, 1999, Abuja, Nigeria the Commission 2000).

          In Nigeria, pregnancy and mother hood mark the end of school attendance and by 16 years, 21% of female adolescents are either pregnant or have given birth. Teenagers face daily pressure from teachers and peers, they are exposed to relentless influence of TV movies, the music industry and internet etc. Unfortunately, young one are too inexperience to handle the consequences of pregnancy.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS  

This project is to look into the causes of teenage pregnancy as well as its consequences. Millions of children return from school to an empty house become both parents are of the working class, which makes many teenagers have set the stage for teenage pregnancy. 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 there is also the powerful influence of the media. Teenagers usually spend more time watching the sex and violence of 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.

And sexual materials of all kind are easily accessible through the internet unsupervised internet may expose teenagers to pornographic and sex chat room, 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.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 

          School age girls who become pregnant come from all socio economic classes of all race and all parts of the country. (Rural and Urban). Many teenagers are facing the dilemma of unwanted pregnancy and unwanted parenthood. The society and the nation, and the world in general are affected by it directly or indirectly, and their choices will have significant consequences for the future of their communities, their countries and the rest of the world. The main aim of the project therefore is designed to help any youth facing the dilemma of unwanted pregnancy as well as practical suggestions for adolescents in avoiding the pitfall of being pregnant and becoming parents suddenly.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 

          The necessity 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.

HYPOTHESIS

          There is no significant difference between negligence of children by parents and teenage pregnancy.

1. There is no significant differences between close relationship with parents and teenage pregnancy.
2. There is no significance difference between peer group influence and teenage pregnancy.
3. There is no significance difference between knowledge of sex education (either in school or at home) and teenage pregnancy.
4. There is no significance difference between parental background and teenage pregnancy.
5. There is significance difference between exposure to media and computers and teenage pregnancy.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY/ASSUMPTIONS  

          The research work is to scrutinize the causes and effects of teenage pregnancy among secondary schools. Since there are limitations on this research, the investigation is limited to the following groups of girls within the adolescent age of 12-18 years in Enugu east local government area of Enugu state.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

          To every thing in life, there are bound to be limitations. This study is not an exception to the above fact. The study was weakness of limitations that may affects its result or interpretations. Non random selections of participations in some schools may have resulted in sample that did not present the population secondary school students in Enugu East Local Government Area in Enugu state. Further more, although Enugu East local government area is a representative of Nigeria, it is just one of the over 774 local government area, in the country students differs and their sexual behaviors and family structures may also differs. Though the study collected data from adolescents in schools where less than one third of those that attend the schools are adolescents. The result cannot be generalized to all adolescents nation wide. Finally, the study is strenuous, time consuming and there was lack of fiancé for transportation as a result of high cost and scarcity of petroleum product.

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

Adoption: That act of process of adopting a child.

Abortion; A medical operation in which a baby’s development inside a woman is stopped so that it is not born alive.

Adolescent: A young person aged 10-19 years.

Curiosity: The desire of knowledge about something or to know about a lot of different things.

Ignorance: Lack of experience

Pregnancy: The condition of being pregnant or the period of time when a woman is pregnant.

Promiscuity: Having sex with a lot of people.

Peer pressure: A strong feeling that you must do the same things as other people of young age if you want them to like you.

Peer: some one of the same age group social class etc.

Sex education: Education in schools about the physical process and emotions involves in sex.

Teenage motherhood: Someone who give birth between the age of 13-19 or a girl who gives birth at her teenage.

Teenagers: Some one who is between 13-19 years old.

Teen: Pregnancy children between the ages of 13-19 that gets pregnant.

Pervert: A person with abnormal or acceptable sexual behaviour.

Staggering: Stocking or supervising that it is difficult to believe.

Dilemma: A situation in which a choice must be made between unwelcome alternatives.

Pornography: Indecent literatures films etc. that shows sexual activities.

Sex: An act of procreation in which males’ penis is inserted into female vagina.

Negligence: Lack of proper care or attention.

Chat room: A room or place where a group of people are having an informal conversation or talk.