Upswell supported all aspects of this project from intervention design through implementation, running Facebook and Instagram Ads, M&E. We even helped a bit in the writing of the final report. We honestly can’t get enough of the people who powered this project!
Background:
Lockdowns and restrictions associated with COVID-19 had the potential to impact access to healthcare services, including contraceptive, prenatal, and postnatal care for both men and women. However, the extent of its impact, especially in low- and middle-income countries like India, was not well understood. Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the use of these services was essential for improving access and use.
This study aimed to explore perceived barriers to accessing contraceptive, prenatal, and postnatal care in India, and how they changed over four months of the pandemic. The researchers conducted four rounds of monthly online surveys with 9,140 men and women recruited through Facebook ads in India between April and July 2020, a period when the national lockdown was eased from the strictest to restricted.
The study found that while about 75% of respondents reported no barriers to contraception due to COVID-19, approximately half of pregnant or postpartum individuals reported barriers to accessing prenatal and postnatal care. Moreover, barriers to care for contraception, prenatal, and postnatal care increased significantly over time.
Respondents also reported a change in fertility preferences, with more individuals desiring to delay rather than have a child sooner due to COVID-19. Overall, the study suggested that as the early COVID-19 pandemic persisted, barriers to reproductive and maternal health care services increased in India, highlighting the need for healthcare providers to address these challenges and ensure access to care.