ABSTRACT
Abortion is a wide issue and the major concern in most of the discussion on abortion draws heavily from the fact that abortion constitutes severe danger to a woman’s health but at the same time when performed by medical specialist (i.e. abortion specialist) is safe for the woman. Abortion is accepted and also rejected by different societies and people indulge in abortion for a lot of reasons. some indulge in abortion so that they can complete their education, some because of the fear of having a child outside wedlock while others indulge in abortion to avoid be labelled by the society as “loose”. The cross-sectional survey is the one adopted in this study and the sample size of this study is one hundred and seventy (170) possible respondents. The questionnaire was used for the collection of primary data. This study is divided into five (5) chapters, the first chapter is the introduction, the second chapter is the literature review, the third chapter is the methodology, the fourth chapter is the data presentation and data analysis and the fifth chapter is the summary, conclusion and recommendation. This study seeks to identify those factors that tend to induce abortion among female university students with focus on the University of Calabar. This study is beneficial to all categories of women, female students and the society at large. This study also identifies how abortion affects the society at large.
7
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page----------------------------------------------------------------i
Approval page---------------------------------------------------------ii
Dedication--------------------------------------------------------------iii
Acknowledgement---------------------------------------------------iv
Abstract------------------------------------------------------------------v
Table of content---------------------------------------------------- --vi
List of tables------------------------------------------------------------x
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study-----------------------------------1
1.2 Statement of the Problem----------------------------------4
1.3 Research questions-----------------------------------------7
1.4 Objective of the study---------------------------------------7
1.5 Significance of the study----------------------------------8
1.6 Definition of terms-------------------------------------------9
8
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 History and origin of abortion-------------------------------10
2.2 Forms and nature of Abortion-------------------------------11
2.3 Methods and risk of abortion--------------------------------12
2.4 Factors contributing to abortion----------------------------13
2.5 Society, socio-cultural factors and abortion-------------15
2.6 Review of related theories-----------------------------------16
2.7 Theoretical framework----------------------------------------23
2.8 Study Hypotheses----------------------------------------------24
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design----------------------------------------------26
3.2 Study Area-------------------------------------------------------27
3.3 Population of the study--------------------------------------27
3.4 Sample Size-----------------------------------------------------27
3.5 Sampling Technique-------------------------------------------28
3.6 Instruments for Data collection----------------------------28
3.7 Methods of Data Analysis------------------------------------28
9
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND DATA ANALYSIS
4.1 Socio demographic characteristics of the
respondents (uni-variate analysis)-------------------------30
4.2 Characteristics in the general knowledge of abortion -37
4.3 Characteristics on reasons or causes of abortion--------44
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary----------------------------------------------------------56
5.2 Conclusion-------------------------------------------------------58
5.3 Recommendations---------------------------------------------59
REFERENCE----------------------------------------------------61
APPENDIX I-----------------------------------------------------64
APPENDIX II----------------------------------------------------65
10
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1: Distribution of Questionnaire-------------------------------29
Table 4.2: Percentage distribution of respondents by age--------30
Table 4.3: Percentage distribution of respondents by sex--------31
Table 4.4: Percentage distribution of respondents by religion---32
Table 4.5: Percentage distribution of respondents by
ethnic background---------------------------------------------33
Table 4.6: Percentage distribution of respondents by
marital status-----------------------------------------------------34
Table 4.7:Percentage distribution of respondents by faculty------35
Table 4.8:Percentage distribution of respondents by their level--36
Table 4.9: Percentage distribution of respondents by methods
Of abortion they are aware of---------------------------------37
Table 4.10: Percentage distribution of respondents by whether
they support abortion among students-------------------38
Table 4.11: Percentage distribution of respondents who
Supported abortion by which abortion method
they support----------------------------------------------------39
Table 4.12: Percentage distribution of female respondents
on whether they have ever been pregnant-------------40
Table 4.13: Percentage distribution of male respondents
on whether they gave ever gotten a girl pregnant-----41
11
Table 4.14: Percentage distribution of respondents on
whether they have been directly or indirectly
involved in abortion procurement-----------------------42
Table 4.15: Percentage distribution of respondents by
whether they would recommend abortion to
other students or anyone----------------------------------43
Table 4.16: Percentage distribution of respondents
on whether they think students procure
abortion regularly-------------------------------------------44
Table 4.17: Percentage distribution of respondents
on whether they believe that female
students who get pregnant unexpectedly
would terminate their pregnancy in order
to complete their education------------------------------45
Table 14.8: Percentage distribution of respondents
by whether they believe that stigma associated
with carrying unwanted pregnancy encourages
individuals to terminate it---------------------------------46
Table 4.23: Distribution of respondents by their
response what ground they would procure an
abortion i.e. medical, economic or educational
(Reference Question 24 and 17)----------------------47
12
Table 4.24: Distribution of respondents by sex on
whether stigma associated with unwanted
pregnancy can lead individuals to terminate
the pregnancy(Reference Question 26 and 3)------50
Table 4.25: Distribution of Respondents by Age on whether
fear of becoming a mother at a tender age
leads to the desire to terminate unwanted
pregnancy.( Reference Question 27 and 4) --------53
Abortion is a wide issue and the major concern in most of the discussion on abortion draws heavily from the fact that abortion constitutes severe danger to a woman’s health but at the same time when performed by medical specialist (i.e. abortion specialist) is safe for the woman. Abortion is accepted and also rejected by different societies and people indulge in abortion for a lot of reasons. some indulge in abortion so that they can complete their education, some because of the fear of having a child outside wedlock while others indulge in abortion to avoid be labelled by the society as “loose”. The cross-sectional survey is the one adopted in this study and the sample size of this study is one hundred and seventy (170) possible respondents. The questionnaire was used for the collection of primary data. This study is divided into five (5) chapters, the first chapter is the introduction, the second chapter is the literature review, the third chapter is the methodology, the fourth chapter is the data presentation and data analysis and the fifth chapter is the summary, conclusion and recommendation. This study seeks to identify those factors that tend to induce abortion among female university students with focus on the University of Calabar. This study is beneficial to all categories of women, female students and the society at large. This study also identifies how abortion affects the society at large.
7
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page----------------------------------------------------------------i
Approval page---------------------------------------------------------ii
Dedication--------------------------------------------------------------iii
Acknowledgement---------------------------------------------------iv
Abstract------------------------------------------------------------------v
Table of content---------------------------------------------------- --vi
List of tables------------------------------------------------------------x
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study-----------------------------------1
1.2 Statement of the Problem----------------------------------4
1.3 Research questions-----------------------------------------7
1.4 Objective of the study---------------------------------------7
1.5 Significance of the study----------------------------------8
1.6 Definition of terms-------------------------------------------9
8
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 History and origin of abortion-------------------------------10
2.2 Forms and nature of Abortion-------------------------------11
2.3 Methods and risk of abortion--------------------------------12
2.4 Factors contributing to abortion----------------------------13
2.5 Society, socio-cultural factors and abortion-------------15
2.6 Review of related theories-----------------------------------16
2.7 Theoretical framework----------------------------------------23
2.8 Study Hypotheses----------------------------------------------24
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design----------------------------------------------26
3.2 Study Area-------------------------------------------------------27
3.3 Population of the study--------------------------------------27
3.4 Sample Size-----------------------------------------------------27
3.5 Sampling Technique-------------------------------------------28
3.6 Instruments for Data collection----------------------------28
3.7 Methods of Data Analysis------------------------------------28
9
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND DATA ANALYSIS
4.1 Socio demographic characteristics of the
respondents (uni-variate analysis)-------------------------30
4.2 Characteristics in the general knowledge of abortion -37
4.3 Characteristics on reasons or causes of abortion--------44
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary----------------------------------------------------------56
5.2 Conclusion-------------------------------------------------------58
5.3 Recommendations---------------------------------------------59
REFERENCE----------------------------------------------------61
APPENDIX I-----------------------------------------------------64
APPENDIX II----------------------------------------------------65
10
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1: Distribution of Questionnaire-------------------------------29
Table 4.2: Percentage distribution of respondents by age--------30
Table 4.3: Percentage distribution of respondents by sex--------31
Table 4.4: Percentage distribution of respondents by religion---32
Table 4.5: Percentage distribution of respondents by
ethnic background---------------------------------------------33
Table 4.6: Percentage distribution of respondents by
marital status-----------------------------------------------------34
Table 4.7:Percentage distribution of respondents by faculty------35
Table 4.8:Percentage distribution of respondents by their level--36
Table 4.9: Percentage distribution of respondents by methods
Of abortion they are aware of---------------------------------37
Table 4.10: Percentage distribution of respondents by whether
they support abortion among students-------------------38
Table 4.11: Percentage distribution of respondents who
Supported abortion by which abortion method
they support----------------------------------------------------39
Table 4.12: Percentage distribution of female respondents
on whether they have ever been pregnant-------------40
Table 4.13: Percentage distribution of male respondents
on whether they gave ever gotten a girl pregnant-----41
11
Table 4.14: Percentage distribution of respondents on
whether they have been directly or indirectly
involved in abortion procurement-----------------------42
Table 4.15: Percentage distribution of respondents by
whether they would recommend abortion to
other students or anyone----------------------------------43
Table 4.16: Percentage distribution of respondents
on whether they think students procure
abortion regularly-------------------------------------------44
Table 4.17: Percentage distribution of respondents
on whether they believe that female
students who get pregnant unexpectedly
would terminate their pregnancy in order
to complete their education------------------------------45
Table 14.8: Percentage distribution of respondents
by whether they believe that stigma associated
with carrying unwanted pregnancy encourages
individuals to terminate it---------------------------------46
Table 4.23: Distribution of respondents by their
response what ground they would procure an
abortion i.e. medical, economic or educational
(Reference Question 24 and 17)----------------------47
12
Table 4.24: Distribution of respondents by sex on
whether stigma associated with unwanted
pregnancy can lead individuals to terminate
the pregnancy(Reference Question 26 and 3)------50
Table 4.25: Distribution of Respondents by Age on whether
fear of becoming a mother at a tender age
leads to the desire to terminate unwanted
pregnancy.( Reference Question 27 and 4) --------53