Civic engagement on contraceptive use among school adolescent girls in selected secondary schools in Kabwe.
Date
2021
Authors
Chanda, Muntanga, Mulenga
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
Introduction: Zambia’s Education system keeps recording high dropout rates among adolescent girls in secondary school due to unintended pregnancy. Teenage pregnancies reported among girls in grades 1-12 at both primary and secondary level from the years of 2010 to 2017 show that at primary level they have been a total of 100,664 pregnancy cases recorded and a total of 20,771 pregnancy cases at secondary school level. The implications of these high dropout rates among adolescent girls in secondary school are low female participation and representation in governance, lack of empowerment and poverty among others. This study therefore aimed at finding out how engaged various stakeholders were in teaching contraceptive knowledge and use to in-school adolescent girls as a mitigation strategy to pregnancy. Methods: This study was located in the social constructivism paradigm, using a qualitative approach in which a case study design was employed. A total sample size of 30 participants was used in this study and data was collected using methods of observation, focus group discussions (FGDs) and also in-depth and key informant interviews. Semi-structured interview guides were used as instruments for data collection for the target population of: affected adolescent girls (AAG- those who have been pregnant before (n = 3), parents (n = 4), guidance & counseling teachers (n = 3), FGDs of 15 unaffected adolescent girls (UAG n = 3 FGDs), Civic Education teachers (n = 3), school administrator (n = 1), NGO facilitators (n = 1). Purposive typical sampling technique was used to sample participants and data was analyzed using thematic data analysis. Key findings: The findings seem to suggest that there was acceptability and collaborative civic engagement in teaching contraceptive knowledge by teachers and NGOs because they believed it would give the girls better education outcomes and reduced dropout rates. However, parents’ did not engage because they thought it would lead to moral decay and promiscuity. The study further highlighted some of the challenges that these adolescent girls faced in accessing contraceptive knowledge and accessing contraceptives for use. This study revealed that the lack of engagement by stakeholders contributed to challenges of lack of proper knowledge on contraceptives by the girls, societal misconceptions, stigma, social-cultural and religious challenges. Recommendations: The study therefore, recommends that society start opening up in talking about finding lasting solutions to the current problem of adolescent pregnancy in secondary schools in Zambia, by intensifying awareness on adolescents rights to contraceptive knowledge and use in society as this would help break cultural myths and misconceptions. This study further recommends that all stakeholders especially parents be involved in the policy formulation processes of SRH issues for adolescent girls in fighting teenage pregnancies in Zambian secondary schools.
Description
Thesis
Keywords
Family planning--Study and teaching--Zambia. , Sexual instruction--Teenagers. , Teenage pregnancy.