What’s the role of biological sex differences in the spread of the new coronavirus? We know that girls and women will likely be most affected by the pandemic. How COVID-19 affect women’s sexual and reproductive health?
Continue reading this full article and find out how the pandemic is affecting women’s sexual and reproductive health in the United States and across the world.
Sexual, Reproductive Health and COVID-19
Contents
Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized that “All countries must strike a fine balance between protecting health, minimizing economic and social disruption, and respecting human rights”.
Also to guide the national health systems in planning for the strategic shifts needed to sustain sexual and reproductive health services while also responding to the additional demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO has published COVID-19 specific resources that complement and supplement existing resources in this field.
Effects Of COVID-19 On Girls And Women
According to the latest project and some reports, around 47 million women may be unable to use modern contraceptives if the lockdown carries on for six months. So the WHO guideline provides global, evidence-informed recommendations on routine antenatal care.
This guidance aims to capture the complex nature of the issues surrounding ANC health care practices and delivery and to prioritize person-centred health and well-being, not only the prevention of death and morbidity, in accordance with a human rights-based approach.
It is relevant to all pregnant women and adolescent girls receiving ANC in any healthcare or community setting and their unborn fetuses and newborns.
Also, it covers recommendations in various areas including nutrition, maternal and fetal assessment, preventative measures, interventions for common physiological symptoms, and interventions to improve antenatal care utilization and quality of care.
And it is intended for a wide audience including national and local policymakers, implementers and managers of national and local maternal and child health programs, non-governmental and other organizations, and professional societies involved in the planning and management of maternal and child health services.
Also read, How Quickly Do The Covid-19 Symptoms Appear?
Sexual and Reproductive Health During the COVID-19 Crisis
As the COVID-19 virus spreads at alarming rates, the fallout has spanned the globe and revealed the ill-preparedness of governments, health systems, and social safety networks to respond to the longstanding and emerging needs of people worldwide, especially relating to the health and rights of women and girls.
So here are some critical sexual and reproductive health and rights issues impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic:
- Sexual & Reproductive Health Access
- Contraceptives
- Abortion
- Routine Services
- Maternal Health
- Impact on Marginalized Groups
Addressing Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights In The COVID-19
As the COVID-19, sweeps through the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) has categorized it as a pandemic, health systems are racing to respond and countries and communities are taking unprecedented measures to contain the spread of the virus.
Also, the WHO is an effort to detect, prevent, and respond to the pandemic, helping countries. The UN system, together with global NGOs and care providers, is working to meet girls’ and women’s specific sexual and reproductive health and rights needs in the midst of the outbreak, including:
- Supporting maternal care, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.
- Ensuring continued contraceptive access.
- Protecting hygiene, dignity, and safety.
Impact of COVID-19 In Women’s Sexual & Reproductive Health
The new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic is threatening women’s health. The data released by UNFPA show that a large number of women will not be able to access family planning. Other dangerous practices such as gender-based violence could also skyrocket by millions of cases.
One-third of women surveyed in America in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. say that they want to delay having children or they want fewer children overall.
Also, one in three women surveyed said the pandemic has made it harder for them to access birth control or has delayed or forced cancellations of their doctor visits.
And the U.S survey has found that nearly 2,000 people third of respondents had changed their reproductive plans due to COVID-19. Some of the findings are:
- According to the survey, around 61% of respondents said that they feel anxious and stressed about fertility and family planning due to COVID-19.
- Some of them said that they were concerned about access to prenatal care, and about 1 in 4 said that they were delaying having children because their fertility clinic has paused treatments.
- Others have listed “access to prenatal care” and “financial reasons” as the top two reasons why COVID-19 has delayed their plans for having children.
The impact of this new virus, and the attempts to encroach on women’s autonomy over their own reproductive health.
Now you know how the pandemic is affecting women’s sexual and reproductive health in the United States and across the world.
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Also read, COVID-19 Vs Mental And Physical Well-Being
