Perceived Effect of Teenage Pregnancy Among Female Senior Secondary School Students in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy is seen as a major threat to human health. This study examined the perceived effect of teenage pregnancy among secondary school students in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. Three research questions were raised for this study. The descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population for this study was 6 946 female secondary school students. Systematic and simple random sampling techniques were used for the study and 376 respondents were drawn as the sample for this study. The instrument used for this study was a self-structured questionnaire making up of two sections. The questionnaire was validated by the three experts in the field of Health, Safety and Environmental Education. A split half method was used to check the reliability of the instruments by computing the odd and even scores. A Pearson correlation coefficient value of 0.73 was obtained. The data collected were analyzed using frequency count and simple percentage. The findings revealed that the respondents were involved in practices leading to teenage pregnancy, also that exposure to pornographic materials, poverty and peer pressure could cause teenage pregnancy. In line with the findings of the study, it was recommended that sexuality education should be undertaken at both at home and in the schools.