IMPACT OF TEENAGE PREGNANCIES ON FEMALE STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PROGRESS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education is essential for young people's growth since it prepares them for the world of job and life. Sexual exploration and maturity are increasingly coinciding with secondary schooling as young people spend longer periods of time in school as part of their natural development (Panday, 2009). Many teens continue to explore, and if sex does occur, there are evidence that some type of contraception is utilized while they are still in school (Ngabaza, 2010). For many schoolgirls, however, it leads to pregnancy, HIV, and other sexually transmitted illnesses (Mwaba, 2000). Being a pregnant schoolgirl or a mother has ramifications for future educational chances. One of a woman's tasks, as commanded by God, is procreation. However, there are specific requirements that must be met before a woman may begin procreating. In the African setting, reproduction is a duty of mature young adults who have been deemed to be physically, economically, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically mature; as a result, the act of marriage is highly contracted and honored in our current civilizations (Makiwane, 2010). However, there are girls as young as 10 years old who are sexually active and occasionally become pregnant and give birth, and girls between the ages of thirteen and nineteen years are currently becoming pregnant at an alarming rate in both industrialized and developing countries. According to studies by Briggs (2001), Onuzulike (2003), and others, teens become sexually active at a young age and have a high fertility rate. Teenage pregnancy is the common name for this disorder. Teenage pregnancy is described as "a teenager or under-aged woman who becomes pregnant between the ages of thirteen and nineteen." In everyday speech, the word mainly refers to pregnant women who have not achieved legal age (Oguguo, 1995). Adolescence and teen are often used interchangeably. According to the World Health Organization –WHO (1997), secondary sex characteristics occur between the ages of 10 and 19. According to Helms (1993), adolescence occurs between the ages of 13 and 19. Pregnancies among adolescent girls appear to be one of the societal issues confronting not only Nigeria, but a number of other countries throughout the world. According to Kinby (2001), victims of adolescent pregnancy lacked knowledge or were likely under-educated on safe-sex by their parents, schools, or development organizations, which may have prepared them to deal with peers who lured them into sex too soon. He went on to say that children of single parents are more likely to become pregnant as teenagers. Teenagers who are exposed to sexual content on television, sexuality in the media, pornographic material, and sex chart rooms are more likely to participate in sexual activity (Park,2008). Accepting a gift for sex and certain adults purposefully exploiting impoverished kids and urging them to have sex were also identified as factors contributing to teenage pregnancy ( United Nation, 2001). According to Greenbaum (2002), approximately 60% of adolescent mothers live in poverty at the time of their babies' births, and "approximately 73 percent go on welfare within 5 years of giving birth." Adolescent motherhood is associated with shame, disgrace, and school dropout, which can jeopardize an individual's dreams of pursuing higher goals.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Teenage sexual practices are also on the rise in Nigeria (Okafor,1997). Out-of-wedlock pregnancies, which can result in abortion, delivery, or even death, are a prominent consequence of these increased sexual practices among teens. Pregnancy, regardless of age, may be a life-changing experience that transcends ethnicity, educational level, and socioeconomic background (Kost, 2010). Motherhood imposes obligations on one's life that did not exist before to the woman's birth. When a girl who should be in school becomes pregnant, her entire life may be turned upside down as her goals and dreams are dashed. According to Kost (2010), teen parents are parents who are between the ages of 13 and 19. Maynard (1997) believes that adolescent pregnancy is a delinquent activity that stems from a young girl's stress, hate, malice, boredom, and dissatisfaction in her family setting. Alcoholism, drug addiction, and sexual promiscuity are among the other risk factors. According to studies, adolescence is the most stressful and perplexing period of life (Deegan, 1989). Teenagers are supposed to gain knowledge and skills necessary for the future at this time. Many young females, on the other hand, engage in premarital intercourse, putting them at risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and teenage pregnancies (Umeano, 2003). Pregnancy is normally welcomed when it occurs at a suitable age and in the context of marriage. On the contrary, it is most undesired when it occurs outside of marriage or during the adolescent years, when the individual should be learning skills in both official and informal settings. Poverty, pornography, the media, and peer pressure have all been identified as factors contributing to adolescent pregnancy, according to Audu (1997). Pregnancy is a risk for all youths who participate in premarital intercourse. Teenage pregnancy is no longer a novel phenomenon in any civilization, whether developed, developing, or developing. Various reasons have been offered for its existence, but the fundamental issue is its persistence and geometric progression, despite all of the efforts made by the government, schools, religious bodies, and non-governmental organizations to address some of the identified factors that lead to this cancerous or decadent state in our societies.

1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The overall goal of this study is to investigate the impact of adolescent pregnancies on female students' academic advancement, using Oye-Ekiti LGA as a case study. The precise aims are as follows:

i. Determine if pregnant schoolgirls can cope with the academic rigors of school.

ii. To see if adolescent pregnancy has an impact on pregnant schoolgirls' academic performance.

iii. To find out whether there is a link between adolescent pregnancies and female student dropout rates.

iv. Determine if teen pregnancy poses a danger to the class's overall success.

v. To determine if adolescent pregnancy has an impact on the financial stability of pregnant schoolgirls.     

1.4     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i. How can pregnant school girls can cope with the academic rigors of school?

ii. How can adolescent pregnancy have an impact on pregnant schoolgirls' academic performance?

iii. is a link between adolescent pregnancies and female student dropout rates?

iv. How can pregnancy pose a danger to the class's overall success?

v. How can  adolescent pregnancy have  impact on the financial stability of pregnant schoolgirls? 

1.5     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study's conclusions are critical for schools, parents, and guardians. It may be used to teach kids about the dangers of premarital sex and how adolescent pregnancy might jeopardize their academic goals. Lack of awareness is one of the leading reasons of adolescent pregnancy, according to research, and it is the obligation of parents and guardians to teach their children about sex. Although the number of adolescent pregnancies among female secondary school students is concerning, it is critical to educate female pupils on how to prevent sexual activity.

The findings of this study can also be utilized as a source of information for other researchers who are likely to do research on a similar issue. 

1.6     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The focus of this research is limited to the impact of adolescent pregnancies on female students' academic achievement in a case study of Selected Local Government Areas. It was decided to use a few secondary schools

1.7     LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Lack of time, respondent unwillingness to provide information, and restricted resources were among the significant challenges the researchers faced in conducting this study.

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