APPLICATIONS TO CURVES

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For example, ,n Luxembourg cost of an abortion ,� reimbursed rrom lhe health insurance funds. In France, the cost of abortion is "re1n1bursablc by I.he social security system". The "H)de 1\mcndment" enacted 1n 1976 in 1hc U.S forbids the use of Federal funds for abor11on C),,cepl prc:gnanc} related 10 he.1llh·

risk and "'here prc:gnancy is as a result of rape or 1nces1 (UNFPA. 1981 ).

The percentage of all le{!al abortions 10 fc:1nales under 20 _{years or} age is

highest in the 1ndus1nalizcd world where: the procedure 1s widely available.

The overall rate range from about 2.5' 10 JUSI below 30� as follo,11�:

Tun1s1a (2 5%). Jap,,n. Czechoslovakia (6, I�). India (6.3%), Singapore (88'ii,), Dcnn1ark (178%), _S,11cden (19 I�), England & \Vales (27.3%), Canada (28.3'1.), U S.A (29 6') and Scotland (29 7$) (fietzc,

1983).

The criminal and penal code 1n Nigeria made abonion illegal �ccpt ,11hen lhc physical he.'ll1h of lhc mother 1s 1hrc:a1cned In August 1991. _Health

and Human Rcsou� t-tin1stcr. Ransome· Ku11 expressed the Fedc:ral Govcmmcnl desire to legalise abortion in Nigeria due to the high rate of ma1emal death (especially an1ong 1ccn:igcrs) as a result of illegal abortion.

This review 1s relevant to 1hi, study 1n 1h:11 supposing abortion �-:u legnh,cd 1n Nigeria ,,ould pregnant adolexcn1., prefer to abort rather than

carry 10 1c:rm lhc1r prcgn:inc11:s. One of the question\ 1n the quc,rioo., ire ¹⁴ -a., 10 obl31n 1nfonna1ion on 1h1s 1\\ue. Bccau� abortion is 1llcpu " � ,.:ena rnou adofc5ccn1s usunll} -.o:l.. the ass1s1nncc of un�l..1llcd f1111Cllt1oncn "h� .. prq;n:u,t, Illegal and cl.inde\hnc tc:nn1na11on of prq;nnnc) b) unU.-,llcd pmcllhoncrs usually cntlcd up in obs1ctnc and B) naccolog) dcplnmcnts of ho,paals !'-lost

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experts on reproductive health arc of the , ,c,v that the ri,I.: related to pregnancy and childbirth 1s greatest in adoh:\Ccn1, than 10 "01ncn bct"'ccn 20 and 24 years.

PKECNANCY-ltEL,\ 1 EU CO;)IPLICATIO',S Of APOLESCC'\'Ui:

There: arc di, ersi: finding\ ,,·11h reference to pregnanc}-rcl.ited complic,11ions of adole�cenl\ but the} all ha,c one thing 1n common, Thal i\,

maternal nsl. ,ncrasc\ ,...-uh decreasing maternal age belo" 20. In addition, the relative risk of 1nf,1nl.\ born of n101hcrs 19 year) and under is also higher than for infant\ of motherl aged 20 10 24. ror in\lancc, Obeng 's ⁽ 1969) study of teenage pregnancy at St Giles Hospual. London ⁽ 196-S • 67) rc\calcd a hi&hcr incidence of to,acm1a. e,ccS\I\C weight cain, anaemia and congcnual abnormality She ho"c,cr observed 1ha1 labour in pregnant 1�-e113gc� ^\4.tS easier and quicker than 111 older primigra\'rdac.

A s1udy also earned out 111 ·ranun1.i (Arl.utu. 1978) as�rating age al first binh \vith hc.1llh risk showed that adolc:i.cents IS yc.1r. old and under SI.Uld a higher risk of dc1.eloping an1cn111al complications such as anaemia, premature labour and lo,v birth ,,c1gh1 b:ib1cs. L11o.e\4nc. Harnson's (19S5) stud) 10 7 .. ana. Nonhcm N,gcn:i revealed f�ucncy of lo"' b1nh \I.Cll)ht b.lb ¹ cs, hi1;h neonatal ,nonalil)' and ccphalopc:1..-,c t.11sprorortion as a result of n:trru\\·

pc:lv,cs ,\dcloro ( 1988) aho obscf\ cc.I that :ido!c.sccnt pregnancy 1s Ul(X'Utcd with h11,.1 pcnr.:11al dc::illn Gules (19S'i) 11lso ^lllllcd 1h;a1 ,n $\\11Zcrland &\C�c

birth \4C1gh11 of bablCl ol IC'Cnagers 17 to I ) c:lD •� ^\"CT) lo"

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Research earned out 1n Indonesia to eitam1nc the heallh, soc1o·cconomic and educational characteristics and their assoc1a1ion 10 adolescent pregnancy and early n101hcrhood documented a higher inc,dcncc of to"<acm1a, antenatal haemorrhage, opcrati\·c dchver). low b1nh weight babies. prenatal monality and neonatal death among teenagers 11 10 19 )cars old {Chali� et al. 1979).

Drc1zen et al { 1967) and Norman { 198::>) also stated th,11 pregnancy 1s riskiest among adolescents, especially the 1nalnourishcd because 1he1r pch 1cs are still in the process of growth. There was therefore the likelihood of prolonged labour.

\Villiam's (1973) find ⁱ ngs 1n Jamaica w-as similar 10 Harrison's (1985) in Zaria, Ni&cria That 1s. pregnancy induced h)pcrlcns1on (variou.,ly referred to as proeclampsia, IO\aemia or iLS seizure. eclampsia). iron deficiency anaemia and obstructed labour arc major life-threatening complica11ons for adolescent pregnancy Also, Ojcngbedc's ( 1987) s1udy al the Un111cr1ity of lbadan,

Nigeria during the period 1978 82 of adole5.ecn1s 16 >·cars and undt'r showed a higher than usual Incidence of prei:nancy 1nd11cc<l hypcncns1on (PIH) and foc10-pclv1c disproportion.

This review 1s important for this s1udy because of' tts chn1c-al find ⁱ ngs.

One of the objccll\'C., of 1h1s s1udy is 10 as,c!-' the frcqu.:nt) of prq;nanC)·

related co1nplic.i1ions of adolClCCnts. An 111c1np1 w 111 therefore be m.,dc through hosp11allclinic record, ^to a\CCn.1,n If con1pl1ations .,uch ;u low· b,nh babies, anaemia, ob.,trucrcd labour. nron:nal moruht). pcn�tal dc;ith • malnutrition. e 1.c are as\oc1a1cd with adolC)C'cnt prei:;nanc> ,n the :.tud.) environment Nu1r111on3l 1nllie11or such :is :inac1n111 "111 csubh\h tlat ^II mochcr 1s n1alnouri,ht'J llo�-c,,:r, nnacn11n 1n pn,:n;in�) ,� not ah,,1)\ n lnll�I 11

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doei. not therefore ahYa)'S esl3blish or conlirm malnutrition A 1011.· birth

"'eight of less than 2500g (2.5kg) ^1� also an 1nd1cator of poor nutntion and a risk factor ¹⁰ the baby.

It is gcnerall)' observed that if adolescents ,vcrc provided "'irh adequate educauon and information on reproducuve health, cnrly pregnancy could be prevented and controlled. Reproducth c health describes thoi.e aspects of health concerned ,,11h the process ol reproduction. In iii. broadest sense, i t encompassc.i. all asp1..-cts of family health and 1n panicular. the health of the mother and child. Thus reproducuve health include considera11on of fcnilhy.

conception. pregnancy, childbirth and family planning (t.fat and Lad1po. 1984).

2.6 FEPKOOUCT!VF: HE..\Ll'II EPUC,\T·roN ,\ND 11\tOR;\t,\TIO�