Scoping Review on the Impact of Outbreaks on Sexual and Reproductive Health Services: Proposed Frameworks for Pre-, Intra-, and Postoutbreak Situations

Biomed Res Int. 2021 Sep 8;2021:9989478. doi: 10.1155/2021/9989478. eCollection 2021.ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION: Recent experiences from global outbreaks have highlighted the severe disruptions in sexual and reproductive health services that expose women and girls to preventable health risks. Yet, to date, there is no review studying the possible impact of outbreaks on sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Methodology. Studies reporting outbreaks impacting sexual and reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes were identified using MEDLINE, Embase, and ISI-WoS. Reported impacts were reviewed at systems, community, and legislative levels.RESULTS: The initial run listed 4423 studies; the 37 studies that met all inclusion criteria were mainly from Latin America and Africa. Studies on outbreaks of diseases like Zika and Ebola have documented declines in facility-based deliveries, contraceptive use, and antenatal and institutional care due to burdened healthcare system. Service usage was also impacted by a lack of trust in the healthcare system and system shocks, including workforce capacity and availability. At the community level, poverty and lack of awareness were critical contributors to poor access to SRH services. Assessing the target population's knowledge, attitude, beliefs, and behavior and using health literacy principles for communication were fundamental for designing service delivery. Online resources for SRH services were an acceptable medium of information among young adul...
Source: Biomed Res - Category: Research Authors: Source Type: research