KNOWLEDGE OF HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF ABORTION AMONG TEENAGE GIRLS IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF AHIAZU MBAISE L.G.A, IMO STATE)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Teenage pregnancy is a major public health and social problem globally because of the consequences it has on adolescent mothers, their babies and their caregivers. Motherhood poses great challenges on any woman; the fact that an adolescent mother is a child that lacks the mental and financial capabilities to raise a child compounds the problem. A lot of studies have highlighted the disadvantages of adolescent motherhood on their children. These include delayed cognitive development, lower levels of language skills, academic failure, poor social outcomes, risk of becoming the next generation teen mothers and the high possibility of ending up in foster care (Jutte 2010; Staton-Chapman, Kaiser &Hancock, 2004). Teenage pregnancy is one of the primary causes of poverty, as well as the cause of certain psychosocial and educational problems in teenagers. There have been calls on governments and other stakeholders to urgently address this ugly phenomenon. Tamkins (2004) in his study found that teenage mothers oen face a life of poverty, have lower levels of education and have less opportunity in the workplace than non-parenting teens. Concern about the increase in unmarried teenage pregnancy has been expressed throughout Africa (Letanro 1993). The observed consequence include contributions to higher infant mortality (Becker 1993), potential barriers to the development of the woman, increased maternal morbidity and mortality (Garenne 1997) and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (Gyepi-Gabrah 1987). It is contributing substantially to overall fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa. Taken as a region, the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest level of early child bearing in the world (Barker et al 2009). Teenage pregnancy constitutes a health hazard both to the mothers and the fetus. The mother is at increased risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension, anaemia, obstructed labour and its sequelae (Okpani et al 2011, Ojengbede et al 1987, Uwaezuoke et al 2004). They are also three times more likely to die as a result of the complications of pregnancy and delivery than those aged 20-24 (Aboyeji et al 2013, UNFPA 2010). The fetus is prone to be delivered preterm, small for gestational age and has an increased risk of perinatal death (Ojengbede et al 1987, Uwaezuoke et al 2004, Aboyeji et al 2013). The main issues that have strongly influenced the pattern of teenage pregnancy include the declining age at menarche and the increase in the number of years spent in school