Assessing the impact of lockdowns on adolescent pregnancy

Adolescents and young adults have been affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with lockdown restrictions having caused disruption to education and the availability of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services.

The Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Working Group are undertaking a living systematic review to assess the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on adolescent pregnancy and sexual health. This will include a review of quantitative and qualitative data and review of country and regional data when they become available.

Their objectives are:
1.1. To determine the relationship between lockdown restrictions and the rate of adolescent pregnancy (ages 10-19 years) across the globe.
1.2. To assess the sociodemographic determinant factors associated with adolescent pregnancies.
2.0. To describe the experience of adolescent females’ sexual and reproductive health throughout the pandemic and related lockdowns.

Why is this important?

  • Early childbearing, or pregnancy and delivery during adolescence, can derail girls’ otherwise healthy development into adulthood and have negative impacts on their education, livelihoods, and health.
  • Girls may be forced to drop out of school, with far-reaching impacts on their educational and future employment opportunities.
  • Girls may experience social consequences such as stigma, rejection, violence from family members, peers or partners, and early and forced marriage.
  • Early pregnancy is bad for girls’ health. Globally, maternal conditions are among the top causes of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and death among girls aged 15-19 years.
  • Neonatal outcomes may also be affected – higher rates of pre-term birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, and neonatal mortality.

If you are interested in participating in this review, please contact Lauren Hookham (lhookham@cerclecoalition.org ) for further information.

Study Documents
Link to protocol

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