Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Mar 30:4:794477.
doi: 10.3389/frph.2022.794477. eCollection 2022.

Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mini Review

Candice Groenewald  1   2 , Nazeema Isaacs  3 , Dane Isaacs  3
Affiliations
Review

Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mini Review

Candice Groenewald et al. Front Reprod Health. .

Abstract

This mini review explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. We conducted a rapid review of the literature across three databases, with a particular focus on the African continent. Few studies have specifically focused on adolescents in Africa and this paper contributes to this paucity of research. Findings revealed the unintended consequences of the pandemic. Studies across several countries showed that the respective lockdown measures restricted adolescents' access to sexual and reproductive health services. The literature also showed increases in adolescent pregnancies during the lockdown, along with increases in reports of sexual violence against adolescents. We conclude this paper by offering recommendations to address these unintended consequences and potentially improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health in African communities.

Keywords: SRH services; adolescents; contraceptives; sexual and reproductive health (SRH); sexual violence; teenage pregnancies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA diagram to screen articles.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Map of countries included in this mini review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kangas A, Haider H, Fraser E. Topic Guide on Gender. University of Birmingham, UK: UK Governance and Social Development Resource Centre; (2012).
    1. Starrs AM, Ezeh AC, Barker G, Basu A, Bertrand JT, Blum R, et al. . Accelerate progress—sexual and reproductive health and rights for all: report of the Guttmacher–Lancet Commission. Lancet. (2018) 391:2642–92. 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30293-9 - DOI - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization. Sexual and Reproductive Health. (2021). Available online at: https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/sexual-and-reproductive-health (accessed November 12, 2021).
    1. Chandra-Mouli V, Neal S, Moller AB. Adolescent sexual and reproductive health for all in sub-Saharan Africa: a spotlight on inequalities. Reprod Health. (2021) 18:1. 10.1186/s12978-021-01145-4 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. UNICEF . Opportunity in crisis: preventing HIV from early adolescence to early adulthood (2011). Available online at: https://data.unicef.org (accessed November 12, 2021).

LinkOut - more resources