Adolescent girls, a forgotten population in resource-limited settings in the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for sexual and reproductive health outcomes.
Pan Afr Med J
; 37(Suppl 1): 41, 2020.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1069974
ABSTRACT
Adolescent sexual and reproductive health is an essential aspect that may be forgotten in the COVID-19 pandemic. Valuable insights gained from previous humanitarian crises indicate undesirable short and long-term adolescent maternal consequences in low resource settings. Young girls are at a higher risk of dropping out of school and being forced into early child marriages and high-risk jobs that predispose them to sexual exploitation and sexual and gender-based violence. Economic recessions, supply chain disruptions and reallocation of resources may limit access and utilisation of services and commodities. The COVID-19 pandemic thus indirectly exposes adolescent girls to multiplied risks of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections including HIV and Human Papilloma Virus. Sexual and gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation cases may increase as intervention programmes to avert these are disrupted, and the resultant psychosocial and socioeconomic consequences may be devastating. Thus, a pro-active approach is required to come up with frameworks to ensure the minimum initial service package for reproductive health. A multi-sectoral collaborative intersection of relevant stakeholders in adolescent sexual and reproductive health is therefore urgently desired.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Reproductive Health Services
/
Reproductive Health
/
Sexual Health
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
Language:
English
Journal:
Pan Afr Med J
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Pamj.supp.2020.37.41.26970
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