Infographic
23 Mar 2021
228 views

Sexual & Reproductive Health Services: An Infographic Series

United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (U...+1 more
United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH)
Global
5 mins
20 downloads
Download the infographic
Covid-19, Essential Health Services and Gender Equity
Part of an infographic series
  • How COVID-19 is disrupting sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS)
  • COVID-19 responses impact the provision of, and access to, SRHS
  • Critical information gaps and structural barriers contribute to a lack of access to SRHS

This infographic is part of a series of four infographics focusing on the intersection of gender and Covid-19 and covering the following topics:

  1. Sexual & Reproductive Health Services
  2. The Gender Gap in Digital Health
  3. GBV Response Services
  4. Financial Protection Services
About the infographic
What you'll find

With a focus on countries in the Global South, this infographic illustrates how COVID-19 is disrupting sexual and reproductive health services and how critical information gaps and structural barriers contribute to a lack of access to SRHS. Some countries are adapting and diversifying how people access sexual and reproductive health services through alternative models of care to allow ongoing accessibility during the pandemic.

The impacts of COVID-19

COVID-19 has disrupted the provision of family planning and contraception services. Critical information gaps and structural barriers contribute to a lack of access to SRHS. Global supply chains have been heavily disrupted, affecting sexual & reproductive health.

A woman holds her baby in Nepal.

UNFPA estimated in early 2020 that lockdowns (when lasting six months) could impact nearly 47 million women in 114 low- and middle-income countries, causing major disruptions to services and restricted access to modern contraceptives, in turn leading to as many as 7 million unintended pregnancies.

Key Takeaways
1
Integrating SRHS into established essential services
Integrating SRHS into established essential services

In countries like Zimbabwe and Nigeria, SRHS have been integrated with other essential services, such as immunisation, food delivery programmes or COVID-related activities, which has ensured continued access to family planning services.

2
Maintaining essential services by embracing innovative approaches
Maintaining essential services by embracing innovative approaches

The UK has made it possible for women to take abortion pills at home, and in France, the government took action to ensure continued delivery of the contraceptive pill to women, even if they were unable to renew their prescriptions.

3
Ensuring continued access of vulnerable groups to SRHS
Ensuring continued access of vulnerable groups to SRHS

In Tunisia, the Tunisian Sexual and Reproductive Health Association (ATSR) and partners worked with government to make the access to care related to SRHS free and equitable for sub-Saharan migrants and refugees.

A woman holds her baby in Nepal.

    We would love to know
    How useful was this resource?
    Not at all
    1
    Very useful
    Could you tell us...
    What would make it more useful?
    We'll share it with them for you
    Who else would find this useful?
    + Add email here
    Next

    Toolkit
    10 Dec 2020
    281 views
    How to create a gender-responsive pandemic plan: Addressing the secondary effects of COVID-19
    Articles
    09 Feb 2021
    611 views
    What, Why and How: Gender & COVID-19 Research Agenda-setting
    Journal Article
    08 Jul 2020
    203 views
    Women are most affected by pandemics — lessons from past outbreaks
    Policy Brief
    10 Jan 2018
    210 views
    WHO recommendations on adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights
    Journal Article
    17 Dec 2018
    124 views
    Opportunities for linking research to policy: lessons learned from implementation research in sexual and reproductive health within the ANSER network
    Toolkit
    14 Jun 2016
    44 views
    A tool for strengthening gender-sensitive national HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health monitoring and evaluation systems
    Report
    09 May 2018
    125 views
    Accelerate progress—sexual and reproductive health and rights for all: report of the Guttmacher–Lancet Commission