1.1 Introduction
The spontaneous termination of a pregnancy before to the foetus's viability is known as an abortion (Elias & Sherman, 2007). Although the term "abortion" is often used to refer to a purposeful termination of a pregnancy, some people prefer the term "miscarriage" to describe a foetal loss that occurs naturally before viability. The term suggests a legal interpretation of the age at which a foetus can live outside of the womb. Slightly less than half of the 44 million abortions carried out annually throughout the world are thought to be conducted unsafely (Sedghet al., 2012). The lowest abortion rate of any African sub-region is found in the Southern African sub-region, which is dominated by South Africa and where abortion was legalised in 1997 (15 per 1,000 women in 2008). West Africa is second with a rate of 28, East Africa is third with a rate of 38, and North Africa is last with a rate of 18 (WHO, 2008).
This chapter will address the background information that motivated this study, the challenges that prompted it, its aim, and its objectives as a preface to subsequent sections of the study. Additional factors include the study's significance, scope, limitations, research questions and hypotheses, and the definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Globally, around 73.3 million induced abortions were carried out annually worldwide between 2015 and 2019, with 45% of these procedures being carried out in an unsafe manner. Ethiopia was one of the poor nations where nearly half of these risky abortions were place. Over 98% of unsafe abortions occurred in developing nations (Gebremedhin et al. 2018; Bearak et al. 2020). Globally, one in ten pregnancies result in an unsafely induced abortion, accounting for over 210 million pregnancies annually (WHO, 2008; Tesfaye et al., 2014). Unsafe abortions cause an estimated 68,000 women's deaths worldwide each year, and another 5.3 million leave them permanently or temporarily disabled. Unsafe abortion practices are a major contributor to maternal mortality and morbidity in underdeveloped nations. Furthermore, the poor world bears the brunt of the public health burden (Warriner et al., 2006).
Hood et al. (2004) asserted that, about half of all maternal fatalities in Africa are caused by complications from abortions. According to Siraneh et al. (2019), unsafe abortions are the primary cause of 13% of all maternal fatalities globally that are connected to abortion. The word "abortion" refers to the ending of a pregnancy before the 28th week of gestation following the last regular menstrual cycle or a baby weighing less than 1000 grammes (Health, 2013). According to Cunningham et al. (2014), spontaneous abortions, also known as miscarriages, happen when an embryo or foetus is lost owing to natural reasons. Induced abortions are defined as the deliberate medical or surgical termination of a living foetus before it is viable.
Although health care technology has advanced, unsafe abortion practices have not changed significantly worldwide. Ethiopian women are particularly vulnerable to complications from abortions because of a number of factors, including early sexual practice, rape, unmet family planning method needs, and rape (Gebremedhin et al. 2018; Amhare et al., 2019). Depending on their situation, women seek induced abortions for a number of reasons. A research done in Uganda and Denmark found that being single is the biggest factor influencing a woman's choice to have an abortion. Other factors that come in second are having two or more children, being under the age of 19, being a student, and being jobless (Rasch et al. 2008; Kaye et al., 2006).
Similar research conducted in Ethiopia found that the main causes of induced abortion include unintended pregnancy, single marital status, young age, poor income, employment position, and mother's educational attainment (Tesfaye et al., 2014; Jamie et al., 2020; Tilahun et al., 2017).
The development of more health centres, the training of more mid-level healthcare professionals, the expansion of abortion services to primary healthcare units, and the creation and distribution of national guidelines for the provision of safe and legal abortion services are just a few of the initiatives undertaken to improve the quality of abortion-related services (Health, 2010). The guidelines were updated in 2014 in order to provide wider access to second-trimester abortion services and to update the gestational age limitations for medication abortion (Holcombe et al., 2015).
The majority of abortions performed in Ethiopia are still dangerous, despite many efforts to improve access to safe abortion clinics (Moore et al. 2016). The reasons why women choose to end their pregnancies are not well understood, despite the gravity of the issue. Identifying its risk elements is crucial for monitoring the achievement of sustainable development goals since an additional upgrade is still required.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Effect of Abortion on Secondary School Female Students.
1.3 Statement of Problems
An investigation found that, despite the fact that it is lawful in many situations, abortion is severely stigmatized and frequently understood to be illegal throughout the nation (Aniteye, 2002). The majority of female students seeking abortions nonetheless choose for covert, typically dangerous procedures, despite the permissive character of the abortion law (Lithur, 2004). Studies have examined the procedures used to induce abortion as well as the socioeconomic and epidemiological aspects of women having abortions (Turpin, Danso, Odoi & 2000; Ahiadeke, 2001).
Nevertheless, it is unknown if any research has been done to evaluate the assumed causes of Nigerian women's illegal abortion practices. To avoid unsafe abortions in Nigeria, it is important to have a thorough grasp of these challenges.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to investigate the Effect of Abortion on Secondary School Female Students. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To identify the factors that instigate Secondary School Female Students engagement in abortion;
- To determine possible effects of abortion among Secondary School Female Students; and
- To ascertain whether abortion causes reproductive health complication among Secondary School Female Students.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Does abortion causes reproductive health complication among Secondary School Female Students?
- What are possible effects of abortion among Secondary School Female Students?
- What are the factors which causes and contribute to Secondary School Female Students engagement in abortion?
