Reproductive Health Education and Teenage Pregnancy in Secondary Schools of Central District, Zanzibar

ABSTRACT 

This study was done to examine the effect of Reproductive Health Education on Teenage Pregnancy in Secondary Schools of Central District, Zanzibar. The study was guided by the following research objectives; to assess student’s exposure to sexual intercourse and family planning; to determine the student’s exposure to reproductive health education; to establish the cases and causes of teenage pregnancy among students and to determine the influence of reproductive health education on teenage pregnancy in secondary schools. The study employed a mixed methods research design, in which 157 questionnaires were given to students of secondary schools; 23 key informants and four focus group discussions with groups of male and female students and community members were conducted. The findings reveal that some students get exposed to sexual intercourse at the age of 15 (38% of the respondents). The majority of the students were exposed to family planning methods especially the boys who were exposed to condom use since it is the perfect method of preventing pregnancy when they have sexual intercourse with girls. Most of the students 92 percent said that they get exposed to reproductive health from their peers or friends and 58 percent through watching movies. On the cases and causes of pregnancy among the students, there was no pregnancy case recorded during data collection but last year there were six pregnancy cases. The majority of the students get pregnant due to the influence of groups (59%). Another 71 percent of the students do not engage in sexual behaviors after receiving the information from their teachers through reproductive health education. The study recommends that, students should be provided with RHE in early age so as to protect them on engagement of sexual intercourse at early age. Teachers should provide peer educator programs concerning reproductive health education during the orientation period this will help the students to have the right information on RHE. Parents should limit their children’s’ exposure to movies and TV programs because some of them contain sexual content which influence them to engage in sex and they end up of getting pregnant. Knowledge on reproductive health education should begin on elementary level when the students first attend school will help greatly in combating the problem of teenage pregnancies. Parents/guardians should guide and educate their children more on the right RH issues when the children begins to interact with others in their neighborhood which are paramount importance in preventing teenage pregnancies. The government should organize workshops or seminars for teachers on the reproductive health courses such that they should put in the school curriculum in order to teach the students and prevent early teenage pregnancy in the community.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION

APPROVAL

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv

ACRONYMS / ABBREVIATIONS v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES ix

LIST OF FIGURES

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE 1

INTRODUCTION 1

1.0 Introduction 1

1.1 Background of the Study 1

1.1.1 Historical perspective 1

1.1.2 Conceptual perspective 3

1.1,3 Contextual perspective 5

1.2 Statement of the problem 6

1.3 Purpose of the Study 7

1.4 Research Objectives 7

1.5 Research Questions 7

1.6 Scope 7

1.6.1 Geographical scope 7

1.6.2 Theoretical Scope 8

1.6.3 Content Scope 8

1,6.4 Time Scope 8

1.7 Significance of the Study 8

1.8 Definition of Key Terms 8

CHAPTER TWO .10

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 10

2.0 Introduction 10

2.1 Theoretical Perspectives 10

2.1.1 Theoretical Perspective 10

2.2 Conceptual framework 11

2.3 Related Literature 11

2.3.1 Students exposure to reproductive health education 11

2.3.2 Sexual reproductive health education 14

2.3.3 Pregnancy causes among students of Secondary schools 16

2.3.4 Appropriate reproductive health education and teenage pregnancy 20

2. 4 Literature Gaps 21

CHAPTER THREE 23

METHODOLOGY 23

3.0 Introduction 23

3.1 Research Design 23

3.3 Research Population 24

3.4 Sample Size 24

3.5 Sampling Procedures 25

3.6 Data Collection Methods 25

3,6,1 Questionnaire Survey 25

3.6.2 Interview Method 25

3.6.3 Documentary Review Method 26

3.7 Validity 26

3.8 Reliability 26

3.9 Data Collection Procedures 26

3.10 Data Analysis 27

3.11 Ethical Considerations 27

3.12 Limitations and delimitation of the Study 27

CHAPTER FOUR .28

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 28

4.0 Introduction 28

4.1 Demographic Characteristics of Respondents 28

4.2 Students exposure to sexual intercourse and family planning 29

4.3 Students’ Exposure to Reproductive Health Education 33

4.4 Pregnancy Cases and Causes among Students of Secondary Schools in Central District 46

4,5 Influence of Reproductive Health Education on Teenage Pregnancy in Secondary Schools.. 55

CHAPTER FIVE 62

DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 62

5.0 Introduction 62

5.1 Discussions of the findings 62

5.1.1 Student’s exposure to sexual intercourse and family planning 62

5.2 The students’ exposure to reproductive health education 62

5.3. Cases and causes of teenage pregnancy among students of secondary schools 63

5.4 The influence of reproductive health education on teenage pregnancy 64

5.5 Conclusion 64

5.6 Recommendations 65

5.7 Areas for further research 65

5.8 Contribution of knowledge 66

REFERENCE 67

APPENDINCES

APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEENAGERS/STUDENTS

APPENDIX II: INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR KEY INFORMANTS (TEACHERS, HEAD TEACHERS, LOCAL LEADERS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS ETC

APPENDIX III: INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS (WITH STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS) xi

APPENDIX IV: INTRODUCTORY LETTER xii

APPENDIX V: ACCEPTANCE LETTER xiii

APPENDIX VI: MAP OF STUDY AREA xiv

APPENDIX VII: MAP OF ZANZIBAR xv