CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background of Study

The number of teenagers giving birth each year is staggering. In fact more than 10% of young mothers are teenagers. Nigerian birth rate for adolescent is one of the highest in the world and the prevalence among female adolescent in Nigeria of sexually transmitted infection including HIV is climbing rapidly. In an effect to reduce her high pregnancy rate by teenagers including other problems, Nigerians developed a national reproduction health policy in the year 2000 that focuses on preventing risk sexual behaviour during adolescent (national Population Commission) Nigeria demographic and health survey 2004, Abuja Nigeria Commission 2006.

To become a parent, at any given age you have the capacity of generating a          life–altering experience. Irrespective of race, education and socio-economic status motherhood and fatherhood both places high demands on one’s life that were not there before the birth of a child. Indeed, becoming a parent comes with several responsibilities, and when people of school ages (students) become parents, the new responsibilities can be very over-whelming and daunting. And for teenage parents that lack the support of their own parent, this experience can be more challenging and horrifying as they crave and seek support in   adult–oriented systems in which even the older parents may find rather difficult to cope. Teenage parents or students with children, as they are usually referred to in some literature, are parents that fall within the age bracket of thirteen (13) and nineteen (19). More often, these students drop out of school due mostly to pressures they experience, which include stigmatization that is limited with early parenting; isolation from their peers; and lack of the necessary support from their family, friends, schools, social service agencies and other organizations. These factors emerge because of the cultural and normative values that teenage pregnancy tends to breach. According to the latest statistics, Nigeria has the highest teenage birth rate in Africa and the Niger Delta region seem to be the highest in the country (Channels Television, 15th July, 2013). To find research materials on this topic, we employed two basic methods which are Education are textbooks and Internet (using the Google search). A variety of terms were used either alone or in combination, and these include teenage parents, teenage pregnancy, student parents,  school–age parents, adolescent parents, school-based child care, pregnancy, student achievement, drop-outs, and graduation. The literature showed through these searches focus more and basically on the educational attainment of adolescent mothers and the means through which the negative consequences of early parenthood can be curbed or reduced. There was no prevalent on adolescent fathers in the literature. This suggests that the negative consequences of early parenthood have more impact on the teenage mothers. Also, the African factor of male chauvinism could be inferred here.  Teenage pregnancies have become a public health issue due to the observed negative impacts on prenatal outcomes and long term morbidity. Also, the unfriendly and uncaring dispositions of nurses and those in the medical institutions and facilities who are supposed to provide care create additional

 

horror and hurdles to the teenage mothers. Furthermore, there are several other socio-economic factors that determine the rate of teenage pregnancies in different countries of the world. In Nigeria and other developing countries, poverty, illiteracy and lack of sex and sexuality education tend to be glaring indicators that determine the rate of teenage pregnancies. In this paper therefore, effort is made to show that there are social and ethical variables that could help provide solution to the problem of teenage pregnancy.

While sexual knowledge is higher among young people put of school sexual experience while in school pay prompt students to acquire sexual knowledge and to move out of school. In Nigeria, pregnancy and motherhood mark the end of school attendance and by 16 years, 21% female adolescent are either pregnant or have given birth. Teenagers face daily pressure from peers, they are exposed to influence of TV movies, the music industry and internet etc unfortunately young ones are too inexperienced to handle the consequences of pregnancy.

 

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS

This research work is to look into the causes of teenage pregnancy among female students and its effect on the educational development. Millions of children return from school to an empty house because both parents are of the working class, which makes many teenagers less parents. Dysfunction families have set the stage for 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 good foundation of sex education both in school and at home, there is also the powerful influence of the media because teenager usually spend more likely to practice these behaviours in real life and have multiple sexual partners. In our computer age, children do not need to have computer in their homes before using one, the use of computer have increased in many country including Nigeria and sexual materials of all kinds are easily accessible through the internet. Unsupervised internet use may expose teenagers to pornographic and sex chart room, some teenagers are willing to accept sex if they are paid and some adult encourage teenage sex by deliberately taking advantages 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 parents. Hence, this study on awareness of the dangers of teenage pregnancy and motherhood among teenage mothers in Ika South Local Government Area.

 

1.3     PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

School age girls who become pregnant come from all socio-economic classes, all race, and all part of the country. The main aim of this project therefore is designed to help many youth face dilemma of unwed parenthood as well as practical suggestions for adolescents in avoiding the pitfalls of being pregnant and becoming parents suddenly.

1.4     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. Is there any significant difference between negligence of children by parents and teenage pregnancy?
2. Is there any significant difference between knowledge of sex education either in school or at home and teenage pregnancy?
3. Is there any significant difference between exposure to media and computer and teenage pregnancy?
4. Is there any significance difference between teenage pregnancy and educational background of the teenager?
5. Is there any significance difference between peer group influence and teenage pregnancy?

1.5     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The necessity to have teenagers make the right decisions pick appropriate findings, view others with value or importance and become better mothers and fathers. Now that there is much controversy and confusion as regard sex and morals, have made ours project a good relevant to our moral society.

This is the nation making (practical suggestions) available to all at the appropriate time become next in priority.

1.6     SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

The study has weakness of limitation that may affect its result or interpretation. Non-random selection of participants in some schools may have resulted in a sample that did not present the population of female adolescent students in Ika South Government Area in Akwa Ibom State. In schools, where less than third of those that attend the schools are teenagers the result cannot be generalized to all teenagers nationwide. Finally, the study was strenuous, time consuming and there was lack of finance for transportation as a result of high cost of petroleum product and bad roads.