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Coronavirus| Apr 30, 2020, 08:21am EDT |
Coronavirus Could Lead To Millions Of Unintended Pregnancies, According To UNFPA
Alice BrosterContributor
I write about women's health and reproductive health
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, there's been an increased focus on emergency frontline services. With many deaths related to COVID-19 happening in hospitals and medical settings, people are being encouraged to stay away unless it's an absolute emergency. While the lockdown is having a massive effect on everyone, research has found that sexual and maternal services are overloaded, many facilities are running on a skeleton staff or closed altogether and women are skipping important medical checkups in fear of contracting the virus. The COVID-19 lockdown could lead to millions of unintended pregnancies if it goes on for six months, states the UNFPA. The United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency has looked into what the effects of disruption to contraceptive services will have on some of the most vulnerable people around the world.
The UNFPA has projected that 47 million women in 114 low and middle-income countries may not be able to access modern contraceptives. Seven million unintended pregnancies are expected to occur if the lockdown carries on for six months and there are major disruptions to health services. For every three months the lockdown continues, up to an additional two million women may be unable to use modern contraceptives.
"In 154 of the poorest countries with weaker health systems, there's already a funding gap for the next ten years of $250 billion which needs to be invested in sexual and reproductive services. Now that gap has only got bigger," says Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA, "women and girls can't be an afterthought during a pandemic. There's a need to consider the services for women and girls as essential and life-saving services."
By 2030 UNFPA aims to end the unmet need for family planning, end gender-based violence including harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage and end all preventable maternal deaths. Their research with Avenir Health, Johns Hopkins University (USA) and Victoria University (Australia) have highlighted how detrimental the COVID-19 pandemic could be to achieving these goals.
The most vulnerable women and girls globally are set to be hardest hit by the pandemic. "An unwanted pregnancy in the context of a developing country, with a mother who already has multiple children could be seriously life-threatening. It's a considerable burden of disease and suffering placed on women because of the impact of COVID-19 and because there's been a continued lack of prioritization," says Dr. Alakbarov.
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Seven million unintended pregnancies over the next six months with the number getting higher as lockdown continues and access to contraception remains scarce is damning. Many clinics and centers for sexual and reproductive health have already closed. However, there are things governments and organizations can do. "Pregnant women with any symptoms of COVID-19 must be prioritized for testing. Antenatal, neonatal and maternal healthcare services must be separated from COVID-19 cases. Family planning and sexual reproductive health services need to be prioritized and access to contraception and services needs to be qualified as life-saving. They must remain available and accessible throughout the crisis," says Dr. Alakbarov.
The most at risk of restricted access to contraception and sexual and reproductive services are the most vulnerable and poorest in society and globally. The UNFPA has said that the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating existing inequalities. Because of this, there could be millions of unintended pregnancies as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown.
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Alice Broster
I have a particular interest in the changing cultural attitudes around periods, endometriosis, contraception, and menopause and the research that's being done to better
I have a particular interest in the changing cultural attitudes around periods, endometriosis, contraception, and menopause and the research that's being done to better the lives of people who identify as women. I'm a reporter and feature writer, my work has been published in Bustle, Metro, Restless, HuffPost, among others. From the side effects of contraception to why you sweat more when you're on your period, I think every situation is made better when you talk about it (preferably over a cup of tea.)