TY - JOUR
T1 - Contraceptive dynamics during COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa
T2 - Longitudinal evidence from Burkina Faso and Kenya
AU - Karp, Celia
AU - Wood, Shannon N.
AU - Guiella, Georges
AU - Gichangi, Peter
AU - Bell, Suzanne O.
AU - Anglewicz, Philip
AU - Larson, Elizabeth
AU - Zimmerman, Linnea
AU - Moreau, Caroline
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding This work was supported by grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the Performance Monitoring for Action project.
Publisher Copyright:
©
PY - 2021/10/1
Y1 - 2021/10/1
N2 - Introduction Evidence from health emergencies suggests COVID-19 will disrupt women's sexual and reproductive health (SRH). In sub-Saharan Africa, which experiences the highest rates of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion globally, COVID-19 is projected to slow recent progress toward universal access to contraceptive services. Methods We used longitudinal data collected from women at risk of unintended pregnancy in Burkina Faso (n=1186) and Kenya (n=2784) before (November 2019-February 2020) and during (May-July 2020) COVID-19 to quantify contraceptive dynamics during COVID-19; examine sociodemographic factors and COVID-19 experiences related to contraceptive dynamics; and assess COVID-19-related reasons for contraceptive non-use. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine correlates of contraceptive dynamics amid COVID-19. Results Most women did not change their contraceptive status during COVID-19 (68.6% in Burkina Faso and 81.6% in Kenya) and those who did were more likely to adopt a method (25.4% and 13.1%, respectively) than to discontinue (6.0% and 5.3%, respectively). Most women who switched contraceptives were using methods as or more effective than their pre-pandemic contraception. Economic instability related to COVID-19 was associated with increased contraceptive protection in Burkina Faso but not in Kenya. Altogether, 14.4% of non-contraceptive users in Kenya and 3.8% in Burkina Faso identified COVID-19-related reasons for non-use. Conclusions The vast majority of women at risk of unintended pregnancy did not change their contraceptive status during COVID-19, and more women adopted than discontinued methods. A minority of women reported COVID-19-related reasons for non-use, underscoring the importance of expanding safe modes of service delivery during health crises.
AB - Introduction Evidence from health emergencies suggests COVID-19 will disrupt women's sexual and reproductive health (SRH). In sub-Saharan Africa, which experiences the highest rates of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion globally, COVID-19 is projected to slow recent progress toward universal access to contraceptive services. Methods We used longitudinal data collected from women at risk of unintended pregnancy in Burkina Faso (n=1186) and Kenya (n=2784) before (November 2019-February 2020) and during (May-July 2020) COVID-19 to quantify contraceptive dynamics during COVID-19; examine sociodemographic factors and COVID-19 experiences related to contraceptive dynamics; and assess COVID-19-related reasons for contraceptive non-use. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine correlates of contraceptive dynamics amid COVID-19. Results Most women did not change their contraceptive status during COVID-19 (68.6% in Burkina Faso and 81.6% in Kenya) and those who did were more likely to adopt a method (25.4% and 13.1%, respectively) than to discontinue (6.0% and 5.3%, respectively). Most women who switched contraceptives were using methods as or more effective than their pre-pandemic contraception. Economic instability related to COVID-19 was associated with increased contraceptive protection in Burkina Faso but not in Kenya. Altogether, 14.4% of non-contraceptive users in Kenya and 3.8% in Burkina Faso identified COVID-19-related reasons for non-use. Conclusions The vast majority of women at risk of unintended pregnancy did not change their contraceptive status during COVID-19, and more women adopted than discontinued methods. A minority of women reported COVID-19-related reasons for non-use, underscoring the importance of expanding safe modes of service delivery during health crises.
KW - COVID-19
KW - contraception behavior
KW - epidemiology
KW - family planning services
KW - reproductive health services
KW - surveys and questionnaires
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U2 - 10.1136/bmjsrh-2020-200944
DO - 10.1136/bmjsrh-2020-200944
M3 - Article
C2 - 33579717
AN - SCOPUS:85106531110
SN - 2515-1991
VL - 47
SP - 252
EP - 260
JO - BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health
JF - BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health
IS - 4
ER -