TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health in low-and middle-income countries
AU - Meherali, Salima
AU - Adewale, Bisi
AU - Ali, Sonam
AU - Kennedy, Megan
AU - Salami, Bukola
AU - Richter, Solina
AU - Okeke-Ihejirika, Phil E.
AU - Ali, Parveen
AU - da Silva, Kênia Lara
AU - Adjorlolo, Samuel
AU - Aziato, Lydia
AU - Kwankye, Stephen Owusu
AU - Lassi, Zohra
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2021/12/1
Y1 - 2021/12/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Access
KW - Adolescents
KW - COVID-19
KW - Health services
KW - Interventions
KW - Low-and middle-income countries
KW - Reproductive health
KW - Sexual health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85121144445&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph182413221
DO - 10.3390/ijerph182413221
M3 - Review article
C2 - 34948829
AN - SCOPUS:85121144445
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 18
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
IS - 24
M1 - 13221
ER -