Contraception access during the COVID-19 pandemic

Table 1 Potential annual impacts of a 10% proportional decline in use of sexual and reproductive health care services resulting from COVID-19–related disruptions in 132 low- and middle-income countries. Source: Riley et al. [26]

Disruption in essential sexual and reproductive health care	Impact
10% decline in use of short- and long-acting reversible contraceptives	48,558,000 additional women with an unmet need for modern contraceptives
	15,401,000 additional unintended pregnancies
10% decline in service coverage of essential pregnancy-related and newborn care^a	1,745,000 additional women experiencing major obstetric complications without care
	28,000 additional maternal deaths
	2,591,000 additional newborns experiencing major complications without care
	168,000 additional newborn deaths
10% shift in abortions from safe to unsafe^b	3,325,000 additional unsafe abortions
10% shift in abortions from safe to unsafe^b	1,000 additional maternal deaths

Notes: Service changes are presumed to be the average change over a year, and impacts are on an annual basis
^aThe 10% reduction in service coverage encompasses changes in access for some interventions (e.g., delivery in a facility) and changes in the content or quality of care for others (e.g., provision of magnesium sulfate for eclampsia treatment)
^bUnsafe abortions are those performed by persons lacking the necessary skills, or in an environment that does not conform to minimal medical standards, or both

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