Planning to get pregnant in the age of pandemics
As many as 73% of young people interviewed planning to have a child in 2020 either decided to delay or abandon their plans entirely, a recent online survey published in the journal “Demographic Research” has suggested. It seems that the decision to have a child may not be entirely family business anymore, as new emerging social and economic circumstances may have a serious impact on family planning.
The coronavirus pandemic is already having a considerable and possibly lasting impact on main population demographics, including fertility trends. An once-in-a-century public health crisis has spread swiftly, also affecting the plans of motherhood in various ways. As scientific breakthroughs emerge and measures to contain the virus start to have an effect, it is important to highlight the challenges the pandemic has created.
Tight restrictions on social contacts and movements has made people getting together quite an issue. Dating becoming nearly impossible, many have felt no closer to finding a partner for a while now, where once strong relationships have suffered much as a result of serious stress
If social isolation was an immediate side effect, the economic crisis which followed with rising unemployment and financial insecurity looming ahead, has been a further hit on plans to have a child. Many have been counting on savings for the start of their family, including fertility treatments of various kinds. Once financially secure, many are now faced with out of work concerns. Last, during the pandemic, access to health care services, from family planing to fertility investigation and treatment has suffered much, with hospitals limiting elective work to a minimum, IVF clinics having to close for a while, only to reopen with strict measures of protection. Staff shortage in the above settings was only to complicate things further.
However, not all is doom and gloom. Through the pandemic, many people have had the chance to make their relationships stronger, while for others it was the right trigger to get fit, regular exercise becoming a top priority in everyday life. Also, communication of significant breakthroughs in the tackle of the pandemic has never been so effective in the era of social media and online based education platforms. It is reassuring to note that a recent study from the US in the journal Fertility and Sterility has shown that the chances of getting pregnant during the pandemic is no different to what it was right before this.
A drop in fertility after such an enormous public health crisis is not uncommon for all the above reasons, as clearly documented from previous epidemics as well. However, historically, fertility rates are due to rebound as the crisis is getting under control. In this context, the quicker the vaccination rollout plan is set to action and the higher the compliance with public health measures, the sooner we will be returning to normality, people having again control over their plans to have a child.
©2021, Nicholas Christoforidis, Fertility Matters
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