Exploring the Prevalence of Abortion and its impact on the Academic Performance of Medical Female Students in Delta State University, Abraka

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence of abortion and its impact on the academic performance of medical female students in Delta State University, Abraka. Descriptive survey method was employed for the study while simple random sampling technique was utilized in selecting a target sample size of 164 female medical students from a population of 1,640 across five departments in the College of Health Sciences, Delta State University Abraka. Self-designed instrument was used as the instrument for data collection. 150 copies of the questionnaire were successful retrieved from the field and were used for data analysis. Frequency count and percentages was employed as the statistical technique for data analysis. Results obtained from this study revealed the following findings; abortion is prevalent among the female medical students leaving off-campus. Factors that influences female medical students include; poverty and financial concern, psychological factor, maternal and social factors, peer group influence and poor knowledge of the risk factors behind abortion. Consequences of abortion include; the risk of anxiety and depression, negative impact on the academic outcome, leads to school drop-out among female students, lower degree of social support, abandonment and rejection from family’s member and deprives the female student from regular reading. Therefore, strategies for preventing the negative effects caused by abortion include; educating the female medical student on the need to always use contraceptive, always organize seminars to inform the female student of the consequences of abortion, formulation polices that allows for disciplinary measures on victims of abortion and providing early sexuality education earlier for the female child