Effects of the pandemic on women’s reproductive health protective attitudes: a Turkish sample

OBJECTIVES: 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). A total of 69.3% of 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 modern family planning methods. A total of 23.2% of 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. A total of 40.2% of 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. In the COVID-19 pandemic, health policies should be planned in accordance with the continuation of reproductive health and sexual health services.