With no contraceptives, COVID-19 could lead to 7 million unintended pregnancies: UN study

The agencies estimate that the number of women unable to access family planning or facing unintended pregnancies, gender-based violence and other harmful practices, could "skyrocket" by millions due to the crisis. "This new data shows the catastrophic impact that COVID-19 could soon have on women and girls globally," UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem said on Tuesday. "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," Kanem said. As a clear view of the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic is only beginning to take shape, experts estimate that the human cost could be extraordinary. The economic and physical disruptions caused by the disease could have vast consequences for the rights and health of women and girls, the new analysis by the UNFPA and partners noted. The pandemic is also expected to cause significant delays in programmes to end female genital mutilation and child marriage, resulting in an estimated two million more cases of FGM over the next decade than would otherwise have occurred. These delayed programmes, on top of growing economic hardships globally, could result in an estimated 13 million more child marriages over 10 years. The analysis said while a great deal is still unknown about how the pandemic, and the response to it, will unfold around the world, the projections offer an alarming view of the future that could confront women and girls if efforts are not urgently made to secure their welfare and ensure their rights. COVID-19 is having an enormous impact on women and girls as health systems become overloaded and facilities close, or provide a limited set of services which they need. Disruptions to global supply chains could lead to significant shortages of contraceptives, it said, while gender-based violence already on the increase due to the pandemic, is expected to rise still further as women are trapped at home for prolonged periods.