1.1 Introduction
Abortion is the spontaneous or induced termination of pregnancy before foetal viability (Elias & Sherman, 2007). It is also a form of removing pregnancy from the womb either by taking pills (medical abortion) which involves taking medicines to cause where the pregnancy is removed from the womb basis which means you do not need to stay at a clinic overnight. Every year almost twelve thousand (12,000) teenage girls have abortion (Bpas 2019). Popular use of the word abortion implies a deliberate pregnancy termination and some prefer the word miscarriage to refer to spontaneous foetal loss before viability. This definition implies a legal perception of the age at which a foetus can survive out of the womb. An estimated 44 million abortions are performed globally each year, with slightly under half of those performed unsafely (Sedghet al., 2012).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Globally, from 2015 to 2019, approximately 73.3 million induced abortions were performed annually, with 45% of these abortions being performed unsafely. Almost half of these unsafe abortions occurred in developing countries, including Ethiopia. Developing countries accounted for more than 98% of all unsafe abortions (Gebremedhin et al. 2018; Bearak et al. 2020). About 210 million women become pregnant per year, with one out of every ten pregnancies ending in an unsafely induced abortion worldwide (WHO, 2008; Tesfaye et al., 2014).
The overall abortion rate in Africa, where the vast majority of abortions are illegal and unsafe, showed no decline between 2003 and 2008, holding at 29 abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age. The Southern African sub-region, dominated by South Africa, where abortion was legalized in 1997, has the lowest abortion rate of all African sub-regions, at 15 per 1,000 women in 2008. East Africa has the highest rate, at 38, followed by Middle Africa at 36, West Africa at 28 and North Africa at 18 (WHO, 2008).
Abortion is obviously increasing and identical as a problem in so many ways, it destabilizes the teenager’s educational career as useful member of society. She is stigmatized by the society and in the long run returns the girl into a prostitute. This is attributed to the orientation or beliefs which subjected the girl child to early hawking at a very tender age of about nine to ten years (9-10). These inappropriate exposures make her vulnerable as well as the deceitfulness of irresponsible young boys and old men, usually compromise with her innocence. It is a common fact that the problem of pregnancy and abortion on girl child education in our secondary schools is spreading in our communities and this need to be eradicated or reduced in the local government in other words to solve this problem the parents and teachers should mould their children to be better adults.
Pregnancy is the common name for gestation in humans. It is the development of one or more offspring, known as an embryo or fetus in the uterus (Wikipedia 2009). Pregnancy usually lasts for about nine (9) months in human beings. At this stage the embryo is developing offspring during the first 8 weeks following conception, and subsequently the term fetus is used until child birth. In many societies, medical or legal definitions of human pregnancy is somewhat arbitrarily divided into three trimester periods of three months each as a means to simplify reference to the different stages of pre-natal development. The first trimester carries the highest risk of miscarriage (natural death of embryo or fetus). During the second trimester the development of the fetus can be more easily monitored and diagnosed. The third trimester is marked by further growth of the fetus and the development of fetal fat stores (Wikipedia 2009).
Although abortion occurs in every society, and a substantial proportion of pregnancies are resolved by abortion worldwide, there is little empirical research on why women obtain abortions. This lack of information is part of an overall scarcity of data on abortion. Legal, moral and ethical issues surrounding abortion make research on all aspects of abortion difficult to undertake, and also affect the quality of the information obtained. Collecting good information on reasons for abortion may be especially difficult, because it requires asking women to articulate the often complex and sensitive process that led to the decision.
Therefore, in Taraba State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Challenges of Pregnancy and Abortion on Girls Education.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that the impact of pregnancy and abortion on girl-child education are being identified as a major problem that causes backwardness in a girl-child education. Abortion is highly stigmatized and is widely interpreted as being illegal in the country, though it is legally permitted in a wide variety of cases (Aniteye, 2002). Despite the liberal nature of the abortion law, most women seeking abortion still seek clandestine abortions which are usually unsafe (Lithur, 2004).
Some studies have looked at the epidemiological and socio-economic characteristics of women undergoing abortion and the methods used to induce abortion (Turpin et al., 2000; Ahiadeke, 2001). However, no known study has been done to assess the perceived reasons why female of reproductive age conduct illegal abortions in Nigeria. Understanding of these issues is an important step in understanding what needs to be done to prevent unsafe abortion in Nigeria.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to investigate the Challenges of Pregnancy and Abortion on Girls Education using College of Health Technology Takum, Taraba State as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To find out the problem of pregnancy and abortion on girl-child education performance that prevails in our secondary schools;
- To identify the factors responsible for pregnancy and abortion on girl-child education;
- To investigate the causes of pregnancy and abortion on girl-child education; and
- To study the remedies of reducing pregnancy and abortion on girl-child education.
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:
- Are there factors responsible for pregnancy and abortion on girl-child education in the area under study?
- What is the problem of pregnancy and abortion on girl-child education performance that prevails in our secondary schools?
- What are the causes of pregnancy and abortion on girl-child education in the area under study?
- What are the remedies of reducing pregnancy and abortion on girl-child education in the area under study?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There are no significant factors that cause and contribute to girls of reproductive age engagement in abortion
- H1: There are significant factors that cause and contribute to girls of reproductive age engagement in abortion
1.7 Significance of Study
The significance of this research will contribute to human knowledge and the findings will serve as a resource material or reference to the problem for the ways out. Since Nigeria is faced with factors such as falling prey to criminal activity, abortion, ostracism and child abuse problems.
The study helps to know the causes, effects and solution for tackling the problem of pregnancy and abortion on a girl-child education in College of Health Technology Takum, Taraba State. The significance of study includes:
- Formulation of policies and policy administration in Nigeria to reduce pregnancy and abortion.
- Help in sensitizing private, government, non-governmental organizations and so on, in reducing the mentioned problems facing the country.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Challenges of Pregnancy and Abortion on Girls Education using College of Health Technology Takum, Taraba State as a case study.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Definition of Terms
Abortion: The deliberate termination of pregnancy so that it doesn’t result in the birth of a child during 28 weeks.
Pregnancy: Also known as gestation is the time of during which pregnancy on or more offspring develops inside a woman.
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