Introduction
1.1 Background of the study
For a very long time now, both the young and old have taken abortion issue with great concern, whether the person is literate or illiterate in our society or not. A lot of cries and lives have risen about abortion in very many distinguished scholars and educators have done a lot researching on issues relating to abortion, despite all done by these resource personnel, it is disheartening and highly regrettable to note that people still have crude attitude towards abortion.
Issues of abortion for adolescents are embedded in the status and meaning of abortion in the country in which they are living. For adolescents in much of the world, particularly in developing countries, the major problem is access to safe, legal abortion. One quarter of women in the world live in countries in which abortion is either completely prohibited or permitted only to save the woman’s life (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2019). These restrictions are not limited to adolescents but apply to women of allages. In such countries, the only option for terminating anunwanted pregnancy is illegal abortion, which carries ahigh risk of morbidity and mortality. Even in countrieswhere abortion is legal, women may not have access to safeabortions, and adolescents may turn to illegal or unsafeproviders or practices.
In modern age of ours, people still get upset and feel shy sometimes at the mere mention of the word ‘abortion’ Also, most student are still ignorant about abortion related issues. As a result of this crude attitude towards abortion, more harm have been done than good to many innocent souls whose lives would have been saved if the right steps and attitudes had been taken at the appropriate time to savage such situation.
Abortion is a global issue in our contemporary society. In developing countries, especially Nigeria, evidence of abortion is obvious in towns and villages as undeveloped neonates are discovered around bush paths, behind maternity premises and besides university hostels and public borrow-pits. Some pharmacy stores have been shut down and doctors apprehended for unlawful participation in practicing abortion. Zastrow and Krist-Ashman (2017), defined abortion as the “termination of pregnancy by removing an embryo or fetus from the uterus before it can survive on its own outside the womb”.
This act is observed to be done by all classes of women, especially female undergraduate students from all socio-economic and marital status; cultural and religious backgrounds are no restrictions. Early initiation of coitus in the adolescent is often done without birth control and many result in pregnancy which most likely lead to abortion (National Statistical Service, Ministry of Health, and ICF, 2017).
A close observation of the incidence of abortion in Nigeria shows that abortion is very rampant. It is a common practice among female undergraduate students. Personal experiences by the researchers of frequent occurrence of complications from abortion which often result in death across the states and in various hospitals throughout the country confirm the high rate of abortion in Nigeria. The Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey affirmed the high rate of abortion when it revealed that 91.73 percent of government hospitals and 97.58 percent of private hospitals in Nigeria have attended to patients suffering from abortion complications on an annual basis (National Population Commission Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2014).
According to Nairaland (2019), a17-year old girl in a secondary school in Port Harcourt died as a result of complications from abortion of a pregnancy of about three months old. Another case was an undergraduate who aborted a pregnancy in a roadside chemist. Few hours, later she complained of pains in her lower abdomen and was rushed to University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital where she died of the complications. Cases of this nature are frequent occurrence in various parts of Nigeria (Utibeabasi, 2020).
Enquiries have shown that abortion is done for several reasons. The most common and obvious reason of all the considerations is that abortion as a last resort to unwanted pregnancy. For female undergraduate students, a pregnancy is principally unwanted because of the fear and shame of interruption in education, fear of parents’ rejection, and the stigma associated with bringing up a child born out of wedlock, as well as the fact that a pregnant female may be ignorant of the person responsible for the pregnancy.
Abortion is observed to be done at any stage of pregnancy. Most people carry it out at the first trimester, others at the second trimester and a few even at the last trimester notwithstanding the dangers that could result from such acts. A large number of female undergraduate students who seek abortion, do so personally at home, taking self-prescribed drugs and herbs. Some carry out abortion personally by self-administration of drugs that they have seen from the social media online as the Revolutionary Information Age has made possible (Kpolovie&Lale, 2017; Kpolovie&Onoshagbegbe, 2017).
Some get it done with drugs or herbs prescribed by unprofessional doctors, nurses, midwives pharmacist as well as traditional birth attendants/herbalists. However, a few get it done secretly in private hospitals and clinics by professional doctors and nurses. Abortion, though widely practised in the Nigerian society, has long-term attendant consequences that include physical health problem, psychological and social problems that are dangerous and destructive, sometimes culminating in death. This study is therefore carried out in order to examine abortion among adolescents in Nigeria.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Despite the fact that a large number of adolescents die everyday all over the world as a result of abortion, the practice is still increasing. It is a world growing problem and the rate at which is procured earned it the name“the Abortion Epidemic”.
Psychological and emotional problems such as depression, guilt trauma, not forgiving oneself and transfer of aggression are also observed to be common experience of those who carryout abortion. Also, these emotional problems may result in some maladjusted behaviour and social problems that affect the home and society at large. Therefore, the study sought toidentify the causes, rates and ways of curbing abortion among adolescents in Nigeria.
1.3 Objectives of the study
The main objective of this study is to examine abortion among adolescents in Nigeria. The specific objectives are;
- To examine the causes of abortion among adolescents.
- To identify the effects of abortion on adolescents.
- To provide ways for preventing abortion among adolescents
- To examine the various ways of managing abortion.
1.4 Research questions
- What are the causes of abortion among adolescents?
- What are the effects of abortion on adolescents?
- What are the ways for preventing abortion among adolescents?
- What are the various ways of managing abortion?
1.5 Significance of study
The problem of unwanted pregnancy and abortion at the community is very high, this is due to the fact that majority of people mainly because of the social and cultural norms are not open to discuss on the sensitive issue of abortion and unplanned pregnancies.
The importance of the study is to create public awareness on the dangers of abortionand make necessary recommendations as to what is the alternative help to abortion.
Also, as a way of discouraging young girls from procuring abortion and would also help the government in solving the problem.
