Page 20 - IJPS-10-1

International Journal of
Population Studies COVID-19 and access to family planning in Africa

Table 1. (Continued)
S/N Author Pub Country Purpose Study population Methods Family Outcomes Key
year planning findings
method related to
objective
34 Umoh, A. V., & 2011 Nigeria to document 522 women attending Cross-sectional Any 52.6% ever Moderate
Abah, M. G. the awareness of antenatal care study contraceptives used FP access
contraception and its including
use in Uyo, South- modern
south methods
35 Krakowiak-Redd, 2011 Ghana identify which family 85 women aged 15-49 Cross-sectional Any 54.9% current Moderate
D., Ansong, D., planning methods years study contraceptives CP use access
Otupiri, E., Tran, women recognized, including
S., Klanderud, had ever used and modern
D., Boakye, I., currently use methods
Dickerson, T., &
Crookston, B.
36 Akintade, O. L., 2011 Lesotho to assess the level 363 female Quantitative Any 55.3% current Moderate
Pengpid, S., & of awareness of undergraduate descriptive contraceptives CP users access
Peltzer, K. contraceptives and students aged 18-40 survey including
utilisation of family yearss modern
planning services methods
among young
women in Lesotho

restrictive impact of COVID-19 on access to family demonstrated high access among adolescent girls and
planning services among adolescent girls and women in women of reproductive age in the pre-COVID-19 period.
SSA. Therefore, the studies assessed in this review focus Furthermore, 15.4% of study subjects during the COVID-
on examining the use of family planning before and during 19 period had low access to family planning services, and
the COVID-19 period. Across the selected studies, family 21.7% of adolescent girls and women of reproductive age
planning services were categorized into six thematic had low access to these services pre-COVID-19 period.
approaches: Contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR), post- We also conducted a sensitivity analysis to compare
partum family planning (PPFP), long-acting reversible the 3 years preceding the COVID-19 period (2017 – 2019)
contraception (LARC), any method of contraception with the COVID-19 period (2020 to March 2022). The
including modern methods, modern contraception result revealed 13 articles for each of these two periods.
(mCP), and current contraceptives use.
The findings indicated that during the 3 years preceding
All studies, except those employing qualitative design, the COVID-19 outbreak in SSA, 8 articles (61.5%)
reported the proportion of adolescent girls and women depicted moderate access to family planning services,
of reproductive age who accessed family planning. These mirroring the observation for the COVID-19 period
proportions were subsequently used to categorize the level (eight articles [61.5%]). Similarly, two articles (15.4%)
of access into high, moderate, and low. A proportion of 70% showed low access to these services, consistent with the
and above for adolescent girls and women of reproductive findings during the COVID-19 period. Additionally,
age accessing family planning was categorized as a high three studies (23.1%) demonstrated high access to family
access level, while a range of 30 – 60% access was designated planning services among adolescent girls and women
moderate access level. Any reported proportion < 30% was of reproductive age in the period before the emergence
categorized as low access to family planning services. of COVID-19, aligning with the observation during the
In view of this categorization, during the COVID-19 COVID-19 period.
period, eight of the reviewed articles (61.5%) indicated 4. Discussion
that adolescent girls and women of reproductive age had
moderate access to family planning services, compared This review systematically maps the evidence concerning the
to 13 of the articles (56.5%) reviewed for pre-COVID-19 impact of COVID-19 on access to family planning services
period. Additionally, concerning high family planning among adolescent girls and women of reproductive age
access levels, three articles (23.1%) showed high access in SSA. As the transmission of COVID-19 rapidly spread
during the COVID-19 period, while four articles (17.4%) across countries, various stringent measures, including the

Volume 10 Issue 1 (2024) 14 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.365