IMPACT OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG FEMALE STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OREDO LGA OF EDO STATE

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the impact of premarital sex among female students in public senior secondary schools in Oredo LGA of Edo State, Nigeria. The study was undertaken to critically assess the consequences of premarital sex on the lives, health, academics and overall wellbeing of female students in public senior secondary schools. The study adopted the survey research design. The population for the study was all female students from two selected public senior secondary schools in Oredo LGA of Edo State which consist of 518 students. A total of 102 students were drawn in Oredo LGA using a random sampling technique. The instrument used was the researcher's designed questionnaire titled Impact of Premarital Sex among Female Students Scale (IPSFS). The reliability of the instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha which yielded a coefficient value of 0.904. The research instrument was validated by the researcher's supervisor and two other experts in the department of Educational Evaluation and Counselling Psychology. Items in the instrument were modified while mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research question where a benchmark of 2.5 was used as a criteria for decision making. Findings from the study shows that poor academic performance, unplanned pregnancy, health challenge and victims of ritualist among others are consequences of premarital sex among female students in public senior secondary schools in Oredo LGA of Edo State. It was recommend among others that counselors should strive to give useful counsel to enlighten teenagers especially young girls on the need to shun premarital sex so as to avoid the consequences associated with it