ABSTRACT
The study is focused on the consequences of
premarital sexual activities among secondary school students in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.
A total of 200 respondents were
randomly selected from Ilorin West Local
Government Area of Kwara
State. The instrument
used was a questionnaire titled. Consequences of Premarital Sexual Activities
Questionnaire (CPSAQ) which was developed by the researcher. It consists of two
sections: (A and B). section A consisted of items that gave the personal data
of respondents, while B contained items on the consequences of premarital
sexual activities.
The results of the study indicated
that the consequences of premarital sexual activities mostly includes dropout
as a result of teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortion single parenting, early
marriage, increase in the rate of contraceptive drug and abandoning of one’s
responsibility was considered the least.
Based on the findings of this study,
it was recommended that counsellors should be involved in enlightenment
programme to sensitize Nigerian adolescents towards sexual behaviours strict
discipline in the home should be encouraged. Sex education should be included
into the guidance and counselling.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
Page i
Approval
Page ii
Dedication
iii
Acknowledgement
iv
Abstract viii
Table
of Contents ix
List
of Tables xiii
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
to the Study 1
Statement
of the Problem 4
Research
Questions 7
Research
Hypothesis 8
Purpose
of Study 9
Significance
of the Study 9
Operational
Definition of Terms 10
Scope
of the Study 12
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
13
Concept
of Premarital Sex 14
Causes
of Premarital Sexual Activities among Students 16
Lack
of Sexual Educative Material 18
Prevalence
of Premarital Sex 21
Adolescents
Sexual Development 24
Adolescent
Sexual Behaviour 30
Sexual
Activity/Sexual Relationship 33
Percentage
of Adolescents who reported having
Premarital
Sex by 19 Years 35
Adolescent
Pregnancy 35
Effects
of Premarital Sex 37
Solutions
to Premarital Sex 40
Summary
of the Review of Related Literature 42
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
Introduction 44
Research
Design 44
Sample
and Sampling Technique 44
Instrumentation
45
Validity
of the Instrument 46
Reliability
of the Instrument 47
Administration
of the Instrument 47
Method
of Data Analysis 48
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS
Introduction
49
Descriptive
Analysis 49
Hypothesis
Testing 55
Summary
of Results 59
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
61
Discussions
61
Conclusions 66
Recommendations 67
Implication
of the Study 68
Suggestion
for further Studies 69
References
70
Appendix
73
LIST OF TABLES
Table
1: Distribution of Respondents by
Gender 50
Table
2: Distribution of Respondents by Age 50
Table
3: Distribution of Respondents by
Religion 51
Table
4: Distribution of Respondents by
Type of
School 52
Table 5: Means
and Rank Order on Consequences
of
Premarital Sexual Activities among
Secondary
School Students 53
Table 6: Means,
Standard Deviations and t-values
on
the consequences of premarital
sexual
activities as expressed by secondary
school
students on the basis of gender 55
Table 7: Analysis
of Variance (ANOVA) on the
consequences
of premarital sexual activities
as
expressed by secondary school students
on
the basis of Age 56
Table 8: Analysis
of Variance (ANOVA) on the
consequences
of premarital sexual activities
as
expressed by secondary school students
on
the basis of Religion 57
Table 9: Means,
Standard Deviations and t-values
on
the consequences of premarital
sexual
activities as expressed by secondary
school
students on the basis of Type of
School 58
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
The rate of sexual irresponsibility
especially among youth seem to be on the increase. Adeoye (2006) asserted that
modern day Nigerian have made sex one of the most discussed subject, however,
our forefathers pretended as if sex does no exist by placing some taboos on it.
Where as, modern Nigerians pretend that nothing else exists other than sex.
Increasing rate in teenage and youth sexual activities can be sustained by
numerous reports of unwanted pregnancies, illegal abortion and dumping of
unwanted babies.
The present time can be described as a
period of “sex explosion” in which youths are enjoying unprecedented ‘sex boom”
and ‘sex escapades (Achiwizies 1990) further emphasized that sex is commonly
practiced and no more a big deal. This is why it happens anywhere be it in the
office, under a tree, inside the car or even in the classroom. It could
emphatically be said that youth of nowadays engage in premarital sexual
activities with limited knowledge of what is involved and its consequences.
In pursuit of education, students
leave their homes for school and are no longer under the strict supervision of
their parents. Most of them get exposed to modern lifestyle more than ever and
due to peer group influence, they engage in premarital sexual affairs which
they regard as due marks of civilization.
Since every child in secondary school
is believed to be teenager and classified as adolescent, therefore interest and
conception had been that adolescence is a period of intense. Importance of
purity before marriage is fast dying out in Nigeria. Adolescents were viewed
across cultural and social boundaries and the outcome is likely to exhibit
similar behaviour. Gwander (2001) rightly pointed out that the meaning of sex
to various people depends upon the social context in which it develops.
Adolescents are changing in their attitude towards sexual behaviour especially
attitudes of adolescents today and those adolescents of twenty or thirty years
ago, there will be a significant distinction. Adolescents of today seem to
value sexual activities more than their counterparts of yester years.
Adolescents on the other hand see sex as a way of behaving like adults and
exercising themselves to explore and understanding their own bodies.
Hyzer (2001) holds that adolescents of
age 17 to 18 years are termed to have reached reproductive maturity. This is
about the time the adolescent become intellectually mature and set their future
goals. But situation is changing gradually with our adolescents. Nowadays
sexual maturity and unset of sexual interest precede the intellectual maturity.
One also has the feelings that since the advent of various contraceptives,
there has been an increasing pressure on youths especially females to be involved
in casual sex.
One of the factors that enhance
“sexual revolution” is social change and modernization which is associated with
educational opportunities, increase in the percentage of sexual activities
among females especially unmarried adolescents, delay age at marriage and relaxation
of traditional family’s emphasis on virginity. The consequences of the gender
sexual behaviour include: premature pregnancy, abortion, venereal diseases,
early marriage, HIV/AIDs infection and premature death.
Some adolescents found adult sanction
against their sexuality difficult because they see their behaviour as fashion
and act of socialization. Providing authentic sex information through
counselling and sex education is an aspect that ought to engage society’s attention.
Statement of the Problem
In Nigeria, a number of studies
Adegboye, J.O. (2008), Anafi, J.K. (1993) Bakare, E.G. (2006) to mention but a
few have shown that sexual activities among students or young ones particularly
the unmarried is not something to be taken with levity but handled with urgent
attention.
Many Nigerian teenage girls about 60%
according to Kapan (1999) are victims of premarital sexual activity, unmarried
pregnancy and babies. They get scared and try all sorts of possible means of
getting rid of unwanted and unclaimed pregnancy the result is usually very
fatal. It was found by Bakare (2006) that most of our teenagers and youth lack
the proper parental upbringing right at home which is supposed to serve as
first contact of moral reformation in our society. Above 60% of Nigerian
parents do not take good and proper care of their children which exposes the
adolescent to moral degeneration. They fail to give what is required of them as
parents to their children at home. Some female children are subjected to
premarital sex in the hands of human traffickers who perpetrate their obnoxious
business with the knowledge of the parents.
The young females are lured into
premarital sexual activities through prostitution because they are not under
the supervision of their parents. About 30% of these female teenagers are raped
which often lead to unwanted pregnancy or other consequences such as AIDS, STD
among others. Bakare (2006). Its medical and psychological implication in the
life of the adolescent girl such as early pregnancy, Rector Vaginal Fistula
(RVF), Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) is often associated with labour. These
problems led to the investigation into the factors influencing premarital
sexual activities of secondary school students in Ilorin West Local Government
Area.
To the best of the researcher’s
knowledge, none of the other researchers have considered this topic:
consequences of premarital sexual activities among secondary school students in
Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Research Questions
The following questions are asked to
guide the conduct of the study.
1.
What are the consequences of premarital
sexual activities among secondary school students in Ilorin West Local
Government?
2.
Will there by any significant difference
in the consequence of premarital sexual activities as expressed by respondents
on the basis of gender?
3.
Will there by any significant difference
in the consequence of premarital sexual activities as expressed by respondents
on the basis of age.
4.
Will there by any significant difference
in the consequence of premarital sexual activities as expressed by respondents
on the basis of school type.
5.
Will there by any significant difference
in the consequence of premarital sexual activities as expressed by respondents
on the basis of religion.
Research Hypotheses
The
following research hypotheses are formulated to guide the study.
1.
There is no significant difference in
the consequences of premarital sexual activities among secondary school
students on the basis of gender.
2.
There is no significant difference in
the consequences of premarital sexual activities among secondary school
students on the basis of age.
3.
There is no significant difference in
the consequences of premarital sexual activities among secondary school
students on the basis of school type.
4.
There is no significant difference in
the consequences of premarital sexual activities among secondary school
students on the basis of religion.
Purpose of the Study
The
purpose of the study is to investigate the factors influencing premarital
sexual activities among secondary school students. Also it will investigate the
variables of age, gender, religion and school type.
The study would as well conclude its
investigation by suggesting some probable solutions to premarital sexual
activities among students especially in Ilorin West Local Government Area of
Kwara State.
Significance of the Study
The present study is very significant
because the findings would be of great opportunity for the government to plan a
comfortable and favourable environment for female children in various schools.
Another significance of this study is
that it would serve as challenge to parents to pay great attention on their
children by keeping watch on the type of friends their children keep when they
go out and return home every day and check them whenever any act of
misbehaviour is noticed in the children’s way of life. More so, these study
would educate the parents, teachers and school authorities on the need and
importance of showing love, affection, interest and acceptance to the children
and students both at home and at school.
It would also serve as a source of
enlightenment for teenagers, especially why they need to abstain from
premarital sexual activities.
Operational Definition of Terms
The
following terms are defined operationally as used in the study.
Abortion: Abortion
is deliberate termination of pregnancy.
Adolescence: The
transitional period from childhood to adult hood.
Adolescent: - Is
a young person or teenager, who is no longer a child and also not yet an adult.
Premarital Sex: Premarital
sex is a sexual activity that exists before marriage.
Prostitution: - Is
an unlawful sexual activity with the opposite sex purposely in exchange for
money.
Parents: - Parents
are male and female adults who have given birth to a child or children.
Taboo: -
Taboo is a social rule that some words, subjects or actions must be avoided
because they are considered as offence.
Teenage: - This
is a period of sexual actualization when the children go through development of
secondary sexual characteristics.
Teenager: The
teenagers are male and female children whose bodies are maturing and actively
sensitive to external stimulus.
Scope of the Study
This
study was conducted to investigate the consequences of premarital sexual
activities among secondary school students in Ilorin West Local Government Area
where two hundred (200) respondents were sampled for the study.
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