Millions of Women Lose Birth Control Services in COVID-19

The coronavirus health crisis has caused a major drop in birth control services, including abortions² -- operations to end pregnancies⁴. Millions of women and girls around the world are affected⁵.

Almost 2 million fewer women received the services between January and June of this year than in the same period last year. In India alone, the number was 1.3 million. Those are the findings of a new report from Marie Stopes International, or MSI. The organization provides family planning services in 37 countries.

The organization says that, as a result, it expects 900,000 unplanned pregnancies, 1.5 million unsafe abortions and more than 3,000 birth-related deaths will take place around the world.

Kathryn Church is Marie Stopes' director of global evidence. She said those numbers will likely increase if the services are limited in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

The World Health Organization says about 70 countries recently reported problems with family planning services during the COVID-19 crisis. And the U.N. Population Fund warned that the number of unintended pregnancies worldwide could reach much higher, up to 7 million.

Lockdowns, travel restrictions⁶, limited supplies

Health workers said lockdowns, travel restrictions, limited supplies and fear of COVID-19 infection have prevented many women and girls from seeking such services.

A large increase of pregnancies among teenage girls was reported in Kenya. Some girls there used broken glass, sticks and other sharp objects to try to end their pregnancies. The Women Promotion⁷ Center reported two girls died of their injuries. Others were left unable to reproduce.

In the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam⁸, a major birthing hospital was turned into a COVID-19 treatment center.

The supply for birth control fell by almost 50 percent in West Africa compared to the same period last year, said the International Planned Parenthood Federation⁹, or IPPF.

"I've never seen anything like this apart from countries in conflict," said Diana Moreka. She is with the MAMA Network that connects women and girls to care across 16 African countries.

In Haiti, the health ministry¹⁰ reported a 74 percent drop in births at medical centers in May compared to the same period last year. Many women are having babies at home but any resulting deaths there are not reported.

Some countries did not consider family planning services as necessary during the health crisis. In Romania, Daniela Draghici of the IPPF European group said many hospitals refused to provide abortions.

"The impact in some cases is like what used to happen to young women during Communism, to get an abortion³ from somebody who claims to be a medical provider ... and pray," she said.

India lists abortion as a necessary service under lockdown. But many do not know that, says Dr. Shwetangi Shinde. She is part of the India Safe Abortion Youth Advocates organization.

As the lockdown continues, many women in India will face more costly¹¹ and complex late-term abortions. Shinde told of a Mumbai woman who was unable to find a pregnancy¹² test after the lockdown started in March. By the time the woman came to her care, her pregnancy was too far along to abort¹.

Women's health providers have looked for other solutions such as telemedicine, home deliveries of birth control medicine and home-based medical abortions.

But Marion Stevens, director of the South Africa-based Sexual & Reproductive Justice Coalition¹³, said it is harder now as thousands of healthcare workers have been infected with the coronavirus.

I'm Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

global - adj. involving the entire world

lockdown - n. restricted access as a security measure

delivery - n. the act of taking something to a person or place

1 abort   

v.使流产，堕胎；中止；中止(工作、计划等)

参考例句：

• The captain instructed them to abort the mission.上尉指示他们中止执行任务。
• With this button the user can abort the audio sequence.用户可以用该按钮终止音频序列。

2 abortions   

n.小产( abortion的名词复数 )；小产胎儿；（计划）等中止或夭折；败育

参考例句：

• The Venerable Master: By not having abortions, by not killing living beings. 上人：不堕胎、不杀生。 来自互联网
• Conclusion Chromosome abnormality is one of the causes of spontaneous abortions. 结论：染色体异常是导致反复自然流产的原因之一。 来自互联网

3 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

4 pregnancies   

怀孕，妊娠( pregnancy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Since the wartime population needed replenishment, pregnancies were a good sign. 最后一桩倒不失为好现象，战时人口正该补充。
• She's had three pregnancies in four years. 她在四年中怀孕叁次。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

8 salaam   

n.额手之礼，问安，敬礼；v.行额手礼

参考例句：

• And the people were so very friendly:full of huge beaming smiles,calling out "hello" and "salaam".这里的人民都很友好，灿然微笑着和我打招呼，说“哈罗”和“萨拉姆”。
• Salaam is a Muslim form of salutation.额手礼是穆斯林的问候方式。

9 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

10 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

11 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

12 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

13 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。