CAUSES OF THE PREVALENCE OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL FEMALE STUDENTS

ABSTRACT: The study examined the causes of the prevalence of teenage pregnancy among secondary school female students using selected secondary schools in Ijebu Ode as case study. Three research questions were formulated to guide the study. The sample size consisted of 119 teachers in the selected secondary schools in Ijebu Ode who were randomly selected. The statistical methods adopted were descriptive statistics. The major findings were;  lack of health counseling will significantly cause the prevalence of teenage pregnancy among the secondary school female students in Ijebu-Ode; Attitude of parents significantly cause the prevalence of teenage pregnancy among secondary school female students in Ijebu-Ode; Broken homes or divorce significantly cause the prevalence of teenage pregnancy among the secondary school female students in Ijebu-Ode; and lack of sex education will cause the prevalence of teenage pregnancy among the secondary school female students in Ijebu-Ode. The following recommendations were made among others; Sensitization programs should be initiated by relevant bodies to educate the populace on the impact of teenage pregnancies. Furthermore, Sex and Contraceptive education should be introduced in secondary schools. More-so, policies that facilitate better health care services for teenagers should be deployed by government and non-government organizations.