Basic Field Research Methods

This article investigates the issue of teenage pregnancy in Liberia, exploring its causes, consequences, and potential solutions. It discusses the impact of war, lack of healthcare and education, sexual violence, child marriage, and the rising incidents of unsafe abortions. The article also highlights the role of international organizations and government initiatives in addressing this issue.

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Running Head: BASIC FIELD RESEARCH METHODS
BASIC FIELD RESEARCH METHODS
Student Name
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BASIC FIELD RESEARCH METHODS
Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
Discussion........................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................4
Reference list:..................................................................................................................................5

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BASIC FIELD RESEARCH METHODS
Introduction:
The post-war situation in Liberia has ended as a dismal condition for Liberals nationals.
Teenage Pregnancy has become a significant issue in Liberia recently. It is found that
approximately 30% of adolescent girls become pregnant in this country. The rate of pregnancy in
the post-war scenario is so high that girls living in rural areas become mothers at the minimum
age of 15 to 19 years. The percentage of pregnancy in rural areas is 42% which is double than
that of urban areas at 24% (newnarratives.org, 2012). Therefore, this article aims to investigate
the current issue of Teenage pregnancy, which is found in Liberia.
Literature Review
The occurrence of war had several severe adverse consequences on the region of
Liberia. Many significant changes took place in the country as a consequence of war. One of
such consequences was a considerable rise in teenage pregnancy. Liberia is a developing country
and hence, there are many conservative practices which are still followed like that of early
marriages and not taking proper care during the pregnancy term. The article entitled
“Transactional sex among youths in post-conflict Liberia” written by Atwood et al. (2011) talks
about the rise in teenage pregnancy as observed in post conflict Liberia. The research design
used in this paper is that of focus group study. The authors conducted a discussion with the
female population of the sixth and the seventh grade who attended an elementary school located
in Monrovia in Liberia. The research design used in this article is a mixture of qualitative and
quantitative analysis. In this article the authors try to understand the reasons behind the rise of
teenage pregnancy in Liberia by looking in to the factors of development of the country, the

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BASIC FIELD RESEARCH METHODS
economic position of the region, the availability of basic means of subsistence such as those of
clothes, food and water. Moreover, the main reason which is analyzed is that of the impact of
war on the people of Liberia. The authors are of the view that the consequences of the war made
the people afraid about the future of the country because of which they were eager to give birth
to the future generation.
Discussion
It is investigated that the major causes of teenage pregnancy are the absence of a proper
and systematic health care system. Not only that the educational level among the citizens is very
minimum. People from rural areas were devoid of the basic education level. Moreover, the
incidence of sexual violence is rising at an alarming rate in rural areas. The government is not
taking proper steps in formulating policy to enact to restrain the situation in Liberia. Child
marriage is another critical factor, where 90% of teens become mothers before they attained the
age of puberty (Unicef.org, 2012). It is also observed that factors like girl's education and
parent's source of income also contributes to teenage pregnancy in Liberia. Statistics showed that
girl's parents who have less income are likely to become mother five times more than those
whose parent's income are high and receives better education (Plan-international.org, 2018).
The rising incidents of teenage pregnancy also lead to an increase in abortion where
adolescent mothers at the age of 12-14 years undergo medical treatment in a government hospital
and ultimately abortions. Results had shown that abortion at an early age also results in health
complication for these teenage girls which eventually lead to deteriorating their health
(Unicef.org, 2012). The increasing number of unsafe abortions among teenage girls also

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BASIC FIELD RESEARCH METHODS
contributed horrific dimension and ads more complexities to the complicated growing situation
that existed in the country (Newnarratives.org, 2012).
According to Moletsane, Mitchell & Lewin, (2015), the existing national reproductive
health policy does not intend to resolve the current issue addressed in the literature. International
organizations play an active role in reviving the present situation in Liberia by contributing
positively by funds and voluntary service in saving the girl child (Newnarratives.org, 2012).
Conclusion
Adolescent and Sexual and reproductive health service (SRH) address sensitive issues
regarding the teenage pregnancy and have determined that it is essential to raise not only the
educational level but also to raise awareness about better medical practice about safe sex among
the population. Liberia organized Population Policy Coordination Unit (PPCU) in collaboration
with the United Nation's Population Fund to bring more severity in controlling the growing
menace of teenage pregnancy (liberia.unfpa.org, 2012). Not only that the government has also
organized a medical team and supervisory units to monitor the medical condition of the girls and
more importantly they also entrusted with spreading awareness about Sexually Transmitted
diseases of HIV/AIDS.

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BASIC FIELD RESEARCH METHODS
Reference list:
Atwood, K. A., Kennedy, S. B., Barbu, E. M., Nagbe, W., Seekey, W., Sirleaf, P., ... & Sosu, F.
(2011). Transactional sex among youths in post-conflict Liberia. Journal of health,
population, and nutrition, 29(2), 113.
Liberia.unfpa.org, (2012). Teenage pregnancy in Liberia. Retrieved from:
<https://liberia.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/UNFPA_Liberia_Newsleter_July_Se
ptember_2016.pdf>
Moletsane, R., Mitchell, C., & Lewin, T. (2015). 12 Gender violence, teenage pregnancy, and
gender equity policy in South Africa. Gender violence in poverty contexts: The
educational challenge, 183.
Newnarratives.org, (2012). Teenage pregnancy in Liberia. Retrieved from:
<http://www.newnarratives.org/stories/2311/2012>
Plan-international.org, (2012). Teenage pregnancy in Liberia. Retrieved from: <https://plan-
international.o0rg/sexual-health/teenage-pregnancy>
Unicef.org, (2012). Teenage pregnancy in Liberia. Retrieved from:
<https://www.unicef.org/liberia/situation-children-liberia>