Effects of The Pandemic On Women’s Reproductive Health Protective Attitudes: A Turkish Sample

Background: Pandemics restrict access to reproductive healthcare services and worsen the inequalities in the delivery of healthcare services. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s reproductive health protective attitudes. Methods: : The study sample included 306 women and data were collected through a web-based, online questionnaire. The data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Determination of Married Women's Reproductive Health Protective Attitudes Scale. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, ANOVA test were used to assess the data. Results: : The mean scores for Determination of Married Women's Reproductive Health Protective Attitudes Scale significantly differed in terms of education, employment status, income, health insurance and perceived health status (p<0.05). Sixty-nine-point-three percent of the women had their first pregnancy at the agerange of 21-34 years, 17.6% of the women had four or more pregnancies, 55.6% of the women gave birth 1-3 times, 13.4% of the women gave birth at home and 57.8% of the women did not use an effective contraceptive. Twenty-three-point-two percent of the women experienced a problem with their reproductive organs during the pandemic, 70.6% of them did not present to a health center for their problems and 74.5% of these women did not present to a health center to avoid the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Forty-point-two percent of the women used the methods they already know at home to relieve their problems and 16.0% of the women used them edications previously prescribed by their doctors. Conclusion: The pandemic negatively affects there productive health of women. While health policies are modified to meet increased healthcare demands from COVID-19 patients and to eliminate the threat of the pandemic. The role of midwives and nurses is very important in the maintenance of reproductive health services.