An Assessment on the Prevalence of Abortion Among Teenage Girls
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain what lead to unwanted pregnancy among teenage girls
- To ascertain the consequences of abortion among teenage girls
- To ascertain Factors that are associated with teenage pregnancy among girls
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
introduction
Each year, an estimated 210 million women throughout the world become pregnant and about one in five of them resort to abortion. Out of 46 million abortions performed annually, 19 million are estimated to be unsafe (1). WHO defines unsafe abortion as a procedure for terminating an unwanted pregnancy either by persons lacking the necessary skills or in an environment lacking the minimal medical standards, or both (2). The burden of unsafe abortion lies primarily in the developing world; the highest rates are in Africa and in Latin America and the Caribbean, followed closely by South and South-East Asia. At the opposite extreme, the rate of unsafe abortion in Europe and North America is negligible. Where access to safe abortion is restricted, complications from unsafe abortion lead to morbidity and are a major cause of maternal deaths. Globally, it has been estimated that some 68 000 women die each year as a consequence of unsafe abortion, and 5.3 million suffer temporary or permanent disability (3). The public health burden is greatest in the developing world. The root cause of women seeking an abortion is the persistence of unintended pregnancies, which in turn reflects the failure of family planning programmes to meet the contraceptive needs of all women at risk of an unintended pregnancy. For the growing number of women and men of reproductive age who wish to regulate their fertility and have fewer children, there is a need for correct and consistent use of effective contraceptive methods. However, problems such as difficulties in access to preferred methods of contraception, incorrect or inconsistent use of contraceptive methods, and potential contraceptive method failure are not easily resolved and may lead to unintended pregnancies. Other reasons for unwanted pregnancies include forced or unwanted sexual intercourse and a lack of women’s empowerment over sexual and reproductive matters. Societal norms, economic conditions, legal obstacles and other systemic factors are likely to have a profound impact on women’s recourse to abortion and especially unsafe abortion. Poverty, for example, is an important determinant in the decision to seek an abortion when women consider the financial consequences of an unintended pregnancy. Broadly speaking, where there is no legal restriction, abortion services are likely to be safe. In these settings, the abortion is performed in a regulated medical setting and the providers are properly trained. In contrast, where abortion laws are highly restrictive, women turn to clandestine providers with a high risk of incurring a serious or life-threatening complication.
However, there are significant exceptions to this generalization and the relationship between the legality of abortions and the safety of service provision is not always straightforward. Illegal abortions are not necessarily unsafe, legal abortions are not necessarily safe, and clandestine abortions occur in countries where abortion is legal and free of charge. Clandestine providers may be skilled in abortion provision and provide high quality abortion care in some cases, while government certified providers may offer poor service and quality of care so that women turn to untrained abortion providers who may be more respectful of confidentiality and privacy. An example of the latter situation is India, where abortion is legal and provided free of charge in government authorized clinics but significant numbers of abortions continue to take place in uncertified settings, a large proportion of which are unsafe. Additional factors related to quality of care and access to services contribute to high levels of unsafe abortion in India, including a limited number of government certified abortion clinics in rural areas, compelling women to seek out other providers (4). In regions where abortion is highly restricted, the private sector plays an important role in provision of safe abortions for women who can afford it. Although costly and therefore only accessible to women with the means to pay, clandestine abortion providers (such as well-trained doctors and midwives) may offer a safe abortion service, including postabortion care if there should be complications.
The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) outlined the issues and challenges for work in the area of unsafe abortion. In its Programme of Action, it urged governments and other relevant organizations “…to deal with the health impact of unsafe abortion as a major public health concern and to reduce the recourse to abortion through expanded and improved family planning services” (Paragraph 63i of the Programme of Action). It further states: “Prevention of unwanted pregnancies must always be given the highest priority and every attempt should be made to eliminate the need for abortion. Women who have unwanted pregnancies should have ready access to reliable information and compassionate counselling. In circumstances where abortion is not against the law, such abortion should be safe. In all cases, women should have access to quality services for the management of complications arising from abortion. Post-abortion counselling, education and family planning services should be offered promptly, which will also help to avoid repeat abortions” (Paragraph 63i). Subsequent conferences, including the Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW) in 1995, the ICPD + 5 meeting in 1999, and the Beijing + 5 meeting in 2000 continued to call for the provision of safe abortion services where they are not against the law.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to an assessment on the prevalence of abortion among teenage girls
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting impact of an assessment on the prevalence of abortion among teenage girls. 200 staff of selected secondary schools in Uyo was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain an assessment on the prevalence of abortion among teenage girls
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of prevalence of abortion among teenage girls
Summary
This study was on an assessment on the prevalence of abortion among teenage girls. Three objectives were raised which included; To ascertain what lead to unwanted pregnancy among teenage girls, to ascertain the consequences of abortion among teenage girls and to ascertain Factors that are associated with teenage pregnancy among girls. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staff of selected secondary schools in Uyo was selected randomly. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up principals, vice principals adm, senior staff and marketers were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
Knowledge of complications of induced abortions was high among female youths attending secondary schools. The majority of the teenage girls were willing to counsel others about the medical complications of induced abortions. Parents and teachers need to teach the youth about abortions and its dangers. This may reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with unsafe abortion in this country
Recommendation
Parents and teachers should work together to address for prevention of unintended pregnancy and induced abortion
References
- Adaji SE, Warenius LU, Ong’any AA, Faxelid EA (2010). The attitudes of Kenyan in-School adolescents toward sexual autonomy. Afr. J. Reprod. Health 14(1):33-41.
- Ahman E, Shah IH (2011). New estimates and trends regarding unsafe abortion mortality. Int. J. Gynecol. Obstet. 115(2):121–126.
- Buga GA (2002). Attitudes of medical students to induced abortion. East Afr. Med. J. 79(5):259-62.
- Correia DS, Monteiro VG, Cavalcante JC, Maia EM (2011). Female teenager students: what they know about induced abortion complications. Rev. Gaucha Emferm. 32(3):465-71.
- Mbonye AK (2000). Abortion in Uganda: magnitude and implications. Afr. J. Reprod. Health 4(2):104-108.
- Mirembe F, Karanja J, Hassan EO, Faúndes A (2010). Goals and activities proposed by countries in seven regions of the world toward prevention of unsafe abortion. Int. J. Gynaecol. Obstet. 110:S25-9.
- Mitchell EMH, Halpern CT, Kamathi EM, Owino S (2006). Social scripts and stark realities: Kenyan adolescents’ abortion discourse. Cult. Health Sex. 8(6):515–528.
- Senbeto E, Alene GD, Abesno N, Yeneneh H (2005). Prevalence and associated risk factors of induced abortion in northwest Ethiopia. Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 19(1):37-44.
- Silberschmidt M, Rasch V (2001). Adolescent girls, illegal abortion and “Angar-laddies” in Dar-es-Salam: Vulnerable victims and active social agents. Soc. Sci. Med. 52(12):1815-26.
- Singh S, Prada E, Mirembe F, Kiggundu C (2005). The incidence of induced abortion in Uganda. Int. Fam. Perspect. 31(4):183-91.
- Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) and Macro International Inc. (2007). Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2006.
