Social and Health Implications of Teenage Pregnancies

Table of Contents

Abstract……………………………………………………………………….

Introduction….……………………………………………………………….

Chapter One

1.0 Theoretical Review

1.1 Definition of Teenager

1.2 Defining Teenage Pregnancies

1.3 Causes of Teenage Pregnancies

Chapter Two

2.0 Empirical Review

2.1 Consequences of Teenage Pregnancies

References

Abstract

This paper examines the social characteristics of the teenagers which predispose them to pre-marital sex. Attempt is also made to explain the meaning of teenage pregnancy and how it affects the future prospects and achievement of young girls. The main causes and effects of teenage pregnancy is also critically analysed and discussed in this paper with adequate references cited. The theoretical and empirical works of the earlier scholars were appropriately reviewed to make it scholarly essay.

Introduction

The incidence of teenage pregnancy has become a global issue as a result of its consequence on population health, growth and development. It is undoubtedly a worldwide concern since the Cairo international conference on population and development held in 1994 has raised it as an issue among others. Teenagers are children who fall within the chronological age of twelve to nineteen years. Teen, of course, is a period when a child begins to develop secondary sexual characteristics, started to assume higher social responsibilities and started to express sexual feelings and desires. This is a delicate period in the life of the children for all physical changes have great impacts on the psychological functioning of the child. The studies have revealed that more than fifteen million girls of age 15 to 19 years, due to high rate of sexual activities among the unmarried teenagers and continue to be exposed to serious health risk factor. Prevalence of teenage pregnancies also has significant main effects on drop-out rate among the school children particularly in Africa.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Theoretical Review

1.1 Definition of Teenager

The word teenager is synonymous to the word adolescence. The two words could be used inter-changeable. According to Awoniyi (1985) early adolescents/teenage period starts from eleven to eighteen years while later adolescent is between the age of eighteen to twenty-one years. Adolescent can be a time characterised by impulsive decision made in specific situations or crises. Barnaba (1988) defines teenager as an unstable time during which a child needs structure as well as opportunities to become more independent. Obiwusi (2000) points out that teenage period starts from the end of childhood and closes at the beginning of adulthood. This period of beginning and ending of teens varies from one individual to another. It is a period when the child would like to be free from adult domination. He /she wants to be independent and free from parental control. They also have sexual urge and keen interest in opposite sex.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also defines adolescent as a person between 10 and 19 years of age (WHO, 1998). Adolescent make up about 20 per cent of the world’s population of whom 85 per cent live in developing Countries. A lot of physical and emotional changes are usually experienced by the teenagers. They also regularly experienced stresses and tensions when striving to establish individual identity on the journey from dependence to independence and adulthood. Adolescent is also a period in which the growing child experiences considerable acceleration in growth. It is also a stage in which children experience transformation in their physique, emotions, Cognitive and Social interaction (Fayombo, 2004). According to Fieldman (2004), it is a also a trying period associated with psycho-social stresses and storms. He/she also becomes more aware of his/her sexuality (ARFH, 2001). There is natural feeling of wanting to be tourched, loved and cared for by someone of the opposite sex (Azuzu, 1994). They tend to seek information about sexual life preferably from peers.

1.2 Defining Teenage Pregnancies

Teenage /adolescent pregnancy can be described as the pregnancy that occurs to the female ones between the age of 13-19 years. This is more prevalent in Africa than other continents of the world. Akindele-Oscar (1999) also defines teenage pregnancy as conception by children who are below the age 21 resulting from pre-marital or marital sex. The Alan Gutmacher Institute (1981) estimated that of every 10 girls who were then 14 years of age, about four would get pregnant while still a teenager, two will bear live child, 1.5 would have a therapeutic abortion and 0.6 would experience spontaneous abortion among other findings. Students living couple’s life on campus are predispose to teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is a resultant effect of indiscriminate sexual habits of young school children. Teenage pregnancy is also considered as a case of pregnancy that occur when one does not prepare for it due to poor knowledge of sexuality education.

1.3 Causes of Teenage Pregnancies

Teenagers’ risky sexual behaviours are major factors which predispose them to unwanted pregnancies. Non perception of risks in their sexual behaviours and lack of adequate information about reproduction and sexual health issues are largely responsible for teenage pregnancies. Sexual behaviours of the teenagers depend largely on societal constrictions and the level of cultural permissiveness which dictate the modes of sexual practices (Crystal, 1990). Biological determinants, socialization agents such as family, peers, religious institutions and mass media have powerful repressive effects on teenagers’ sexual behaviours. Economic status of the parents has significant relationship on the teenagers’ sexual discipline and behaviour. An adolescent female in need of money is likely to be tempted to engage in pre-marital sex and this could result into incident of unwanted teenage pregnancy. Students whose parents are low income earners face the higher risk of engaging in pre-marital sex and this could eventually lead to teenage pregnancy and increase in drop out rate of school. Lack of adequate knowledge of sexuality education accounts for increase in teenage pregnancies. Knowledge of sexuality education is essential to the development of right sexual attitudes and behaviours. When adequate and accurate information are not available, many teenage students would accept mis-information for truth. Peer group influence is another factor that predisposes teenagers to early and unwanted pregnancies. According to the result of the study conducted by Oladepo and Akintayo (2001), peer group influence was ranked first among the causes of teenage pregnancies. Free mixing of the opposite sex also linked with prevalence of teenage pregnancies. Akinboye (1982) in his contribution states that unrestricted interactions and social activities regularly involving male and female adolescents tend to create an atmosphere for inter-personal affection, love and even result into sexual activities. Watching sexual stimulating magazines and movies may expose the teenagers to early sexual life and unwanted pregnancies. Participating in nude festivals and watching of ponorgraphic films and images on the internet are also risk factors. Family instability and disorganisation which may be caused by poverty, lack of mutual trust and understanding between parents may cause child neglect and consequently could result into teenage pregnancy and increase in drop out rate of the school. Legalization of abortion and early exposure to sexual life can cause teenage pregnancy. According to the report of a study conducted in Nigeria by Nicholas in 1986, he found out that 24.4 per cent of the girls by the age of 15 years have had sexual intercourse, 63 per cent by 18 years while half of the Nigerian females have become mothers before the age of 20 years. This establishes that the Nigerian females in their secondary school ages experience early sexual life. Cultural factors and belief system in some instances are responsible for teenage pregnancies. Pre-mature drop out of school is also a factor which predisposes a female students to fall a victim of teenage pregnancy. The drop-out female students after leaving the school due to one reason or the other find it difficult to cope with life; so, took to hawking and in the process may get impregnated.

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Empirical Reviews

2.1 Consequences of Teenage Pregnancies

The incident of teenage pregnancy like any other phenomenon or problem has physiological, sociological and psychological consequences on individuals and as well as the society. Teenage pregnancy could prevent a female child from completing her education and getting a good job in future. If she chooses abortion as a option, she is likely to be exposed to greater health risks especially when it is procured by an untrained person. It may lead to social rejection, isolation and loss of respect. In a report by WHO (1989) the young men under 19 years of age who become fathers are likely to graduate from school and have fewer employment opportunities than males who wait until they are 24 years.

In some countries, pregnant teens are expelled from school and at times they suffer social and legal penalties. Report have shown that teens who become pregnant face higher health risks than older women, particularly teens who are unmarried and less likely to receive timely prenatal care. Adolescents are more likely to be anemic than adults which significantly faces the risk of dying from pregnancy complications. Pregnant teens are also more likely to suffer from malnutrition, pregnancy-induced hypertension, toxemia, anaemia, contracted pelvic, prolonged labour, high maternal death and eclampsia (a life threatening condition). Children born to teenage mothers are more likely to be premature, of low birth weight and suffer the consequences of retarded fatal growth.

Norman (2000) points out that the issue of adolescent pregnancy is a world wide social phenomenon for example in Iran, the spiritual leaders in effecting his Islamic revolution was reported to have ordered the execution of teenagers found pregnant or even engaging in pre-marital sex. The news of adolescent pregnancies from other parts of the world shows that the reality of adolescent pregnancies is a world wide social phenomenon. The pregnant teen is to a large degree rejected by the adult society. The social damage is a source of health hazard. Some of these according to Taylor (1999) are becoming social outcasts, the risk of a forced marriage to an unsuitable partner, a loss of the path of virtue, the possibility of causing the birth of a baby without a family to love or father to support an illegitimate child. It is worthy to emphasise that becoming pregnant as a teenager affects the level of educational achievement. In many developing countries, a girl who becomes pregnant is expected to assume an adult role which prevents her from continuing to attend school. School policies may require that pregnant girls be expelled and this may discourage teenage mothers from continuing her education. Jekel (1977) expressing a similar view states that adolescent mothers suffer educational and social discrimination, often to the point of ostracism, with the combined effect of poor health for mothers and child; educational and economic deprivation, unsatisfactory social and marital lives and evidence of maternal derivation.

Probably, most abandoned babies in rubbish dumps, gutters, rivers and uncompleted buildings belong to teenage mothers who have no means of supporting themselves and the baby or might want to hide their shame or try to avoid family disgrace. Kierwan (1976) following a study carried out at the institution of medicine in New York city entitled “infant death". An analysis by material risk and health care found that the highest mortality rate in mother under 15 (14.3 deaths under one year for every 1,000 birth); was closely followed by the 15-19 age group at 30.5 death / 1,000 as compared to an overall national rate of 21.9/1,000. It is known that such infants which survive are more likely to have less satisfactory psychological, neurological and intersexual development. Norman (2000) also states that the psychological impact may lead to withdrawal or aggression, the adoption of bad habits such as smoking and heavy consumption of alcohol, drug addiction and prostitution for economic support by the teenagers. There is the risk of diseases, injuries to delicate organs, barrenness due to damage of the uterus, the risk of cancer of the reproductive organs, septic vagina, all these are resultant effects of abortion. Foetal death, high mortality, pre-mature birth and low birth weight are higher among teenagers.

The UNFPA (1992) also observed that infants born by teenage mothers are likely to die than children born to women of age 20-24, an approximately 22% of all birth are unwanted, such a child is likely to die or be neglected, abuse or be abandoned. In Nigeria, study of 127 pregnant school girls, 52% were expelled from school, 20% were too ashamed to return, 15% could not return because their parents refused the tuition and 8% were forced to marry. Drop out from educational institutions for unwanted pregnancies occur in over 50% of school girls. This sort of situation increases the problem of youth unemployment and delinquencies in our cities. Oransaye, Ogbeede and Unnigbe (2000), in the findings of their study as well illustrate the typical consequence of adolescent pregnancy.

They reported that 51.8% faced expulsion from school, 19.6% ashamed of returning to school, 15.4% got parent/guardians refusal / withdrawal of school fees, 7.7% had to get married, and to 5.5% of them the future is unknown (Chestrad, 1997).

References

Ogun State/UNFPA (1998) Gateway Reproductive health: News and views – vol. 1 No.8

Awoniyi A. (1985) Child study educational practice: Nigeria, Macmillan Publishers Ltd. Lagos.

Barnaba A. (1988) Parenting styles and adolescent behaviours: Lagos, Spring Publishers.

Fayombo G.A. (2004) Human Development across life span: Ibadan, Alafas Nigeria Company.

Fieldman R.S (2000) Essentials of understanding psychology: Boston, McGraw Hill.

ARFN (2001) Helping youths cope with their adolescent years: Youth Scope (1), 1-6.

Azuzu M.C. (1994) Human Sexuality: A primer: Ibadan, Ambassador Publications.

Crystal C.D (1990) School Health and Practice: Lagos, Vantage Publishers.

Akinboye, J.O. (1982) Strategies for handling adolescent and youth problems: Department of Guidance and Counselling, University of Ibadan.

Jekel (1977) Primary and Secondary prevention of adolescent pregnancies – Journal of Nigerian School Health 41.

Taylor N.W. (1999) A textbook of Hygiene for teachers in West Africa: London, Longman and Green Publishing Company.

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