According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), ongoing lockdowns and major disruptions to health services because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic could result in seven million unintended pregnancies. The agency speculates that the number of women unable to access family planning could ‘skyrocket’ by millions.
“This new data shows the catastrophic impact that COVID-19 could soon have on women and girls globally. The pandemic is deepening inequalities, and millions more women and girls now risk losing the ability to plan their families and protect their bodies and their health,”states Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive General of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The research was conducted by UNFPA, in collaboration with Avenir Health, John Hopkins University in the United States, and Victoria University in Australia. Moreover, disruptions to global supply chains could lead to a shortage of contraceptives. Gender-based violence, meanwhile, is also expected to rise as women are trapped inside their homes for prolonged periods. Read more: COVID-19 could lead to millions of unintended pregnancies, new UN-backed data reveals, an article published on the United Nations website.
