Knowledge and Perspective of Secondary School Students Towards Legalisation of Abortion

Implication for Counselling the Youths

Abstract

Adolescence marks a critical developmental phase between childhood and adulthood, characterised by evolving autonomy and identity yet lacking full legal and social responsibilities. This study investigated knowledge, and perspectives on the legalisation of abortion among secondary school students in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Guided by two research objectives, a descriptive survey design was adopted, utilising a standardised questionnaire administered to a sample of 200 senior secondary school students. Findings revealed that while 32.0% of respondents had heard about abortion, a significant majority (68.0%) did not know existing abortion-related laws. Additionally, 56.5% of participants strongly agreed that restrictive abortion laws contribute to the prevalence of unsafe abortion practices. Based on these findings, the study recommended enhancing public education and awareness regarding abortion legislation, integrating comprehensive sexuality education into school curricula, improving access to safe abortion services and fostering parental involvement in adolescent reproductive health education.