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Stigmatization And Alienation Of Unmarried Teenage Mothers In Sub-culture
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CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Unintended
pregnancy among unmarried female mothers is a global phenomenon. It
occurs in both developed and developing nations but with variations in
degree and its consequences on the social actor's involved. Although
widely recognized as a social problem, unintended pregnancy stigma has
not been extensively studied by social and behavioral scientists.
Because labeling stigmatization and alienation is by definition a
relational construct, adequately understanding it requires analysis at
both cultural and individual levels.
Teenagers all over the world
attract attention. Unmarried teenage parenthood is by no means a new
phenomenon. In the developing world, unmarried teenage pregnancies are
very common especially in the urban areas due to differences in culture.
In
Agege Local Government of Lagos State, pre-marital sex is not
encouraged culturally. The culture is in support of sanctity of sex but
with the waves of civilization, that aspect of culture is gradually
forgotten. Out-of-wedlock teenage pregnancy has major physical, social,
and psychological consequences. In addition to the need to cope with
motherhood, many unmarried teenage mothers face stigma, lack of
schooling, and livelihood insecurity.
The labeling and stigmatization
of unmarried teenage mothers have not been without its consequences as
it have caused many unmarried teenage mothers series of personal and
collective problems especially in the area of sexually transmitted
infections and unintended pregnancy (Abdulraheem, & Fawole, 2009;
Atuyambe, Mirembe, Johansson, Kirumira & Faxelid, 2005). Though
unmarried teenage mother's pregnancy prevention efforts are varied
nationwide, many deal in shame and stigma.
Unmarried teenage mothers
compared to their male partners have been reported as the most affected
with the stigma and shame associated with unwanted pregnancy in many
developing nations especially in cultures where fertility within the
marriage institution is highly valued; while the male gets away with the
act, the females are biologically meant to carry the physical evidence
of their act. (Ilika & Anthony, 2004}.
A research carried out by
World health Organization (WHO, 2009) indicates that 16 million girls
aged between 15 and 19 give birth every year. Within this figure, 95 per
cent of them occur in developing countries. Across cultures, just seven
countries namely: Bangladesh, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria and the United States of America are
responsible for half of all adolescent births (WHO. 2009).
The
normative picture of unmarried teenage mothers in the sub-Saharan Africa
is that of an unhealthy looking girl with an unhealthy child, poorly
educated, suffering from poverty, unemployed, shattered future, lacks
access to reproductive health services and stigmatized for having
unintended pregnancy (WHO,2007). Although significant drop have occurred
in some countries within the past 20 to 30 years, emerging findings
still shows that unmarried teenage
mother's account for 15 per cent
of the global burden of disability for maternal conditions, and 13 per
cent of all, maternal deaths (WHO, 2006:). Earlier studies have shown
that unmarried teenage mothers are at disadvantage especially in terms
of qualitative reproductive health services available to them when
compared to adult mothers (Creatsas, 1991; Galal, 1999; Atuyambe,
Mirembe. Tumwesigye, et al. 2008).
Unintended pregnancy among
unmarried adolescents and its stigmatization are not peculiar to
sub-Saharan region (Warenius, Faxelid, Chishimba, et al, 2006; Cuffee,
Hallfors, & Waller, 2007). Largely, unintended pregnancies, safe
delivery and care of their babies have not received the needed attention
(WHO, 2007). However, how unmarried teenage mothers cope with the
challenges of unintended pregnancy have not received research attention
in the sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria inclusive (Atuyambe, et al, 2005). In
reality, there are those whose health and well-being and those of their
children has grown worse due to unintended pregnancy. Similarly, there
would be some, though they might be few in number but who have survived
the phenomenon of unintended pregnancy.
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 4]
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This study attempts to examine Stigmatization And Alienation Of Unmarried Teenage Mothers In Sub-Culture (Agege Lga Of Lagos State). The study adopted a qualitative approach. While a total of 90 respondents were selected using simple random sampling, the research instrument was a structured questionnaire having both open and closed ended questions. Also, three hypotheses were tested in the course of the study. The finding reveals that Western culture fuels the pressure of unintended teenage preg ... Continue reading---
