CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Adaralegbe
(2005) sees Social Studies as a study of man in his environment and the effects
of science and technology among others. Esu and Inyang (2014) describe Social Studies
as an integrated study of and the outcome of his interaction with the
environment. The researcher on his own viewpoint sees Social Studies as the
study of man and his environment. Social Studies can be seen as a study of how
man influences and is in turn influenced by his physical, social, scientific
and technological environment.
Nearly half of
all pregnancies in the Nigeria are unintended, the highest of this instance
occurs between 18-24 years of age. Four in ten of all unintended pregnancies
are terminated by abortion (Guttmacher, 2011). Sexually active adolescents aged
10-24 years of age are at the highest risk for contracting sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs) and while young adults aged 15-24 years represent only 25% of
the sexually active experienced population, they acquire nearly half of all new
STDs (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). The high occurrence of
unintended pregnancies and STD contraction can be prevented through
contraceptive use. With contraceptives becoming increasingly easier to access,
costing less, and expanding in variety or options the question remains as to
why such incidences of pregnancies and STDs are so high among the young adult
age group. The CDC STD Surveillance report stated that STDs are hidden
epidemics of enormous health and economic consequence in the Nigeria. They are
hidden because many Nigerians are reluctant to address sexual health issues in
an open way and because of the biologic and social characteristics of these
diseases. STDs are public health problems that lack easy solutions because they
are rooted in human behavior and fundamental societal problems. The validity in the clause lies deeply rooted
behavioral and societal stigma of discussing sexual activity in the Nigeria has
become an overwhelming barrier to education on contraceptive use. Solutions to
these societal issues can only begin through knowledge and discussion to
explore how the adolescent population’s behaviors and attitudes regarding
contraceptives are affecting their use.
Family planning issues are important
to university aged undergraduates. Education is associated with sexual
behaviours, childbearing and contraceptives use and studies show that women are
more likely to postpone pregnancy. Therefore, education can be described as a
dynamic activity which involves an orderly, deliberate and sustained effort to
develop knowledge and skills (Olusakin, 2009). As Awoniyi (2010) puts it,
formal education is a process by which the human mind develops through learning
at school in stages from pre-primary through primary, secondary to tertiary
(university) institution. The present socio-economic situation in Nigeria has
made it obvious that the women must be given sound, formal education as their
male counterparts are given.
According to Adiele (2000), the education of the girl-child
was not a common phenomenon in the traditional Nigerian society before
independence. In fact, her birth would not attract so much celebration as that
of the male-child, and depending on the number of female children the mother
had given birth to before her, the birth of an additional girl-child could
cause her mother her marriage. This is still a major problem in some homes even
among educated men. According to Omegbe (2011) “education itself is the
development of an individual through training, transmission of what is worth
while to the point that he is able to fit into his environment and contribute
to the best of his ability, to the well being of the society.
Therefore,
incessant child-bearing places a woman in a very weak position physically,
economically and psychologically, yet barrenness is viewed as a curse in the
Nigerian society due to high infantile mortality, the capacity to breed was
much valued but advances in the field of medicine have greatly increased the
survival rate among both infants and adults. According to Onyeanwu (2001), the
incessant child-bearing is therefore, no longer necessary, instead, it poses
great danger to the health of the mother and also increased family size that
cannot be supported with the family resources, especially now that the Nigerian
economy has nose-dived and the resultant effect of unemployment among men in
the society. Therefore, to improve the living condition of Nigerian families,
the life of the women who are the cornerstone of every household should be
improved and the regulation of the size of the nuclear family, through family
planning, cannot be overemphasized (Lai, 2000).
There has been a lot of discrimination against the female
gender. In fact, people just see them as breeding machines, in spite of the
availability of family planning. The dissemination of appropriate and relevant
information would lead to the acquisition of knowledge skills and women
empowerment. This can help in breaking the intractable poverty cycle which many
Nigerian families have come to be associated with due to ignorance of family
planning devices and the attitude of many women towards the application of such
devices.
According to
Anyanwu (2002) there are many methods of family planning. These include the
condom; the withdrawal method; the intrauterine contraceptives device, the
diaphragm, the spermicidal, the douching methods etc. Among all the methods of
preventing unwanted pregnancies by the youths in schools, the condom and the
pills are the most commonly needed or are used. Apart from its side effects,
the variety of pills is used by women in many societies today. This is because
of its relative effectiveness. Also, the 90% of women, especially girls in
various schools at the tertiary level, use condoms as preventives methods in
pregnancies. This is because; the condom is easy to use and has virtually no
side effect after use. Therefore, students both male and female prefer to use them,
apart from deriving sexual pleasures they perceived prevention of pregnancy
gives them assurance (Uzodike, 2003; Alani, 2002 and Adedoyin, 2004). Ebonyi State University, Social Studies Undergraduates
represent one of Nigeria’s richest resources for the future; most of them are
sexually active and engage in risky sexual behaviour. Social Studies undergraduates
co-habit within the academic community with much free will and liberty from
parental guidance and influence. While some balance their work with social
activities on campus, others concentrate on social life to the detriment of
their academic pursuits. Peer pressure to acquire expensive items such as
clothing, jewelry, expensive hairstyles, and makeup drive female Social Studies
Undergraduates to engage in transactional sex, thus explored the attitude of
Ebonyi state university social studies undergraduates towards the use of family
planning devices.
Studies have
reported high levels of risky sexual activities and low use of contraception
among Ebonyi state university, Social Studies undergraduates. Lack of
awareness, lack knowledge, inadequate information and erroneous belief has been
adduced as some of the reasons for low contraceptive uptake. Empirical research
has focused on the attitude, knowledge and practice of contraception among
Ebonyi State University undergraduates, with participants requested to merely
indicate the sources through which they obtain information on contraceptive
use. There has been little emphasis on study of the frequency of exposure and
preferences for sources of information on contraception. In view of the
important role of contraception information in promoting contraception adoption
and decreasing the number of unintended pregnancies, it is insightful to learn
more about the various sources of information used for knowledge of
contraception among Ebonyi state university, Social Studies Undergraduates. The
present study thus explored the attitude of Ebonyi state university social
studies undergraduates towards the use of family planning devices.
The main
purpose of this study is to assess the attitude of Ebonyi State University
Social Studies undergraduates towards the use of family planning devices. The
specific purposes are
1. To determine the attitude of Ebonyi
State University Social Studies Undergraduates towards the use of condoms as a
device
2. To determine the attitude of Ebonyi
State University Social Studies Undergraduates towards the use of withdrawal
method as a device
3. To ascertain the attitude of Ebonyi
State University undergraduates towards the use of oral contraceptive pills.
The
findings of this study will of immense beneficial to the following individuals:
Students, Teachers, School, Parents, Federal Government, and Society.
Students who
are in the tertiary institutions, especially at the Ebonyi State University
Social Studies undergraduates, would find the result of this study very helpful
because the findings and recommendations would be help them identify some of
the important contraceptives that are available for use and their effectiveness
in preventing pregnancy and contracting of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, syphilis
etc. This study would enable students to know the most save and effective
contraceptives to take in order to avoid after effects. This study will enable
students to not only identify some available contraceptives, but know their
strengths and weaknesses.
The school authorities: the findings of the study will be
of great benefit to secondary school and tertiary authorities because it will
enlighten them on the need for family planning devices and means of combating
unplanned pregnancies.
Teachers may
equally benefit from the recommendations and findings of this study because it
will enable them to identify some contraceptives students use; their effectiveness
or otherwise even their after effects to students’ health and vitality.
Teachers (Lecturers) would find this study quite revealing as its finding would
go a long way in helping the perception of their students towards the use of
some contraceptives and their effects on them.
Parent may
find this study very useful as its findings and recommendations would help them
to identify some important contraceptives needed by their children at school,
especially the Ebonyi State University social studies undergraduates. This
study will help parents know the most effective contraceptives and their
usefulness or otherwise to their children at school. With the findings and
recommendations of this study, parents would be able to identify some of the
contraceptives that may be useful to them also, in their family planning.
The Federal
Ministry of Health may see this study as a great asset, as its findings and
recommendations would enable the ministry to be abreast with the challenges
facing those who use contraceptives that are not effective especially the fake
ones and this knowledge will assist the ministry to tackle the problem of fake
and adulterated drugs in Nigeria.
The society
may also benefit from this study because the content of this study will help
people in the larger society to appreciate the roles contraceptives play in
birth and population control. This study will be a reference point to both
students, new researchers, old researchers and the general public.
The
study examines the attitude of Ebonyi State University, Social Studies
Undergraduates towards the use of family planning devices. The content scope is
contraceptives and sexual transmitted diseases. The geographical scope is
Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.
The
study provided answers to the following research questions:
1. What is the attitude of EBSU Social
Studies Undergraduates towards the use of condoms as a method of family
planning devices?
2. What is the attitude of Ebonyi State
University, Social Studies Undergraduates towards the use of withdrawal method
as a family planning device?
3. What is the attitude of Ebonyi State
University undergraduates towards the use of contraceptive pills?
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