Women's access to family planning and experiences of reproductive coercion during the COVID-19 lockdown in two districts of Uganda

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dc.contributor.authorQureshi, Mira J.
dc.contributor.authorMiller, Amanda P.
dc.contributor.authorMugamba, Stephen
dc.contributor.authorKyasanku, Emmanuel
dc.contributor.authorNalugoda, Fred
dc.contributor.authorBulamba, Robert Malyabe
dc.contributor.authorKigozi, Godfrey
dc.contributor.authorNakigozi, Gertrude
dc.contributor.authorNkale, James
dc.contributor.authorKato, Phillip
dc.contributor.authorNalwoga, Grace Kigozi
dc.contributor.authorWatya, Stephen
dc.contributor.authorWagman, Jennifer A.
dc.date.accessioned2024-05-22T12:44:27Z
dc.date.available2024-05-22T12:44:27Z
dc.date.issued2024-05
dc.description.abstractIn March 2020, Uganda enforced country-wide restrictions to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, categorizing some health services, including family planning (FP), as non-essential. Globally, similar COVID-19 restrictions have been associated with increased vulnerability to reproductive coercion (RC) among women, due to changes in FP service availability and restricted access by partners. This study aims to investigate these dynamics in Uganda, specifically examining the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on women's access to FP, their experiences of RC, and the relationship between RC and intimate partner violence (IPV). We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from 960 women participating in the AMBSO Population Health Surveillance Study (APHS) between August 2020 and March 2021 across Wakiso (N = 164) and Hoima (N = 796) districts in Uganda. Our analysis focused on women who were sexually active in the past month, using bivariate analyses to explore the associations between RC and recent experiences of sexual, physical, and verbal IPV. The most commonly reported FP methods were injectables (36.8 %) and implants (16 %). Despite the COVID-19 lockdown, less than one percent of participants reported an inability to access their preferred FP method. Notably, 3 % of the women experienced RC in the past 12 months. There was a significant association between RC and sexual IPV (p < 0.0001), as well as physical IPV (p < 0.0001). Instances of verbal IPV were observed to have tripled during the lockdown period. An increase in verbal IPV was found among women during the COVID-19 lockdown. Additionally, a notable association emerged between other forms of IPV and an increased risk of RC. Despite the lockdown, access to FP remained high, which could be attributed to the prevalent use of long-acting FP methods.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipFunding derived from the EMERGE project (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grants: OPP1163682 and INV018007; PI Anita Raj). National Institute of Mental Health T32MH080634, and National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse T32AA013525 provided protected time to Amanda Miller to contribute to this manuscript. Mira Qureshi’s work was funded in part by NIH T34 GM008563.en_US
dc.identifier.citationQureshi, Mira J., Amanda P. Miller, Stephen Mugamba, et al. 'Women's Access to Family Planning and Experiences of Reproductive Coercion during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Two Districts of Uganda', Heliyon, vol. 10/no. 9, (2024), .en_US
dc.identifier.issnISSN 2405-8440
dc.identifier.issnEISSN 2405-8440
dc.identifier.urihttps://nru.uncst.go.ug/handle/123456789/9529
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherElsevier Ltden_US
dc.subjectfamily planning; women; experiences of reproductive coercion; COVID-19 lockdown; Ugandaen_US
dc.titleWomen's access to family planning and experiences of reproductive coercion during the COVID-19 lockdown in two districts of Ugandaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
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