Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Adolescents' Sexual and Reproductive Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
; 18(24)2021 12 15.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1635360
ABSTRACT
Adolescents living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are struggling with accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, and COVID-19 has escalated the problem. The purpose of this review was to identify and assess the existing literature on the impact of the pandemic on SRH needs and access to services by adolescents in LMICs. A scoping review was conducted to collate findings on the topic. Searches were performed on eight databases. Data were extracted and categorized into various themes. After removing duplicates and performing a full-text reading of all articles, nine articles were included in our review. Our findings generated several themes related to adolescents' sexual and reproductive health during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include (1) limited access to sexual and reproductive health services, (2) school closure and increased rate of early marriages, (3) sexual or intimate partner violence during COVID-19, (4) disruption in maternity care, (5) adolescents' involvement in risky or exploitative work, (6) intervention to improve sexual and reproductive health services during COVID-19, and (7) policy development related to adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Several recommendations were made on policies-for instance, the use of telemedicine and community-based programs as a way to deliver SRH services to adolescents during and after a pandemic.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
/
Maternal Health Services
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
/
Reviews
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
Language:
English
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Ijerph182413221
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