BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
International conference on population development (ICPD) (1996) defined reproductive health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes. Reproductive health is a crucial part of general health, yet many of the word’s people do not have good reproductive health. Some have little or no control over their sexual lives and children bearing, others engage in behaviours that put both them and their partners at risk, while yet others simply do not have assess to the right kind of information and services. Many girls and women are socially, politically, and economically disadvantaged, and have fewer educational opportunities and consequently have limited choices in the society is critical to their reproductive health, and their reproductive health is crucial not only to them but also to the next generation.
In some cultures, parents and family members such as aunts, uncles, elder sisters and grand parents are influential sources of knowledge, beliefs, attitude and values for children and youths. The adolescent period is a time when the teenagers need guidance and help from their parents home training is an essential element in instilling the right character and morals in the children because this have profound effect on how they will conduct their lives when they leave home. Children should be encouraged to talk to their parents, by so doing they can be prevented later in life from keeping to themselves. The youths of this generation are thrown into the pressure of an adult life. As from 12 yrs of age, they turn to their friends for advice about sex, pregnancy, drugs, money and careers, and many of the teenagers who go long have said “we could not talk us”. Early reproductive health education to children is an important task for parents. Esim (2001) says that in some cultures, parents and family member such as aunts, uncles, elder sisters and grand parents are influential sources of knowledge, beliefs, attitude and values for children and youths. They are role models who shape young people perception of gender roles and influence the choice that youth make about their own sexual behaviour. Parents and other family members often have the power to guide children’s development towards health sexuality as a natural, normal and progressive experience within the life cycle, they can help their children develop and practice responsible sexual behaviours and personal decision making.
Denise (1997) says that in most societies, educating children about reproductive health is not a task parents and other family members find easy to discuss. Parents are often embarrassed when confronted with such questions, they become tough tied uneasy, they gasp for words or they change the subject. So most children are left to pick it up on their own, more often than not they pick it up from proverbial gulter usually from friends, classmates in the form of dirty jokes or from novel or magazines. Perhaps may be the parents are reluctant to expose their own lack of knowledge about anatomy, philosophy, or other related information. They may worry about how much information to give at what age, based on the unfavoured belief that the provision of this information will lead young people to experiment with what they are told. What many fail to realize is that giving no information to the young people questions can send negative messages about sexuality. The result may be unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and low self esteem.
Singh et al (2000) recognizes that adolescent can engage in health, fulfilling sexual relationship rather than focusing only on the negative outcome may go far in reaching young people with important information. Esim (2001) says that it becomes increasingly clear that adolescent sexual and reproductive health is closely linked with educational economic opportunity.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The essence of this research work is to find out the attitude of female adolescent towards reproductive health education in College of Education, Ekiadolor-Benin.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The main focus of this study is to know the certitude of female adolescents towards reproductive health education.
It is hoped that at the end of this study the parents approach to educating their children on reproductive health will change positively.
It will also help the adolescents to know how to prevent teenage pregnancy there reducing the rate of criminal abortion this bringing a decline in maternal mortality.
It will help the parents to know why and how to give se education to their children at an early to prevent teenage pregnancy.
It will relevant to school authoritarian stakeholders in the society.
LIMITATION OF STUDY
The major constraints facing this study were time and finance and it is for this reason that this study was limited to a specific area e.g. unity street, 3 junction Eguadiaken in College of Education, Ekiadolor. The streets named above were randomly selected from about twenty (20) in the college road.
It is also very important to mention that the topics is a very sensitive one with a lot of social implications especially with the adolescents so it was difficult to get the adolescents to disease information on some of the questions in the questionnaire so analysis was a bit cumbersome.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Reproductive Health: According to world health organization (WHO) 1993, reproductive health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing in all matters relating to the reproductive system at all stages of life. According to international conference on population development (ICPD 1995) reproductive health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence and disease or infinity in all matters relating to the reproductive system and its functions and processes.
Reproductive Heath Care: this is defined as the castellation of methods, techniques and service that contributes to reproductive health and wellbeing by preventing and solving reproduction problems.
Abortion: termination of a pregnancy before viability of the fetus i.e. ability of the baby to have an independents life.
Unwanted Pregnancy: this is a pregnancy a girl or human or her own freewill considers undesirable.
UNSAFE ABORTIONS: the termination of pregnancy termed unwanted either by person lacking the skills necessary for the procedure or in an environment lacking the minimal medical standard or both.