Miscellaneous
In the United States, researchers says the coronavirus pandemic is more likely to lead to a baby bust than a baby boom. According to the Brookings Institution, women are likely to delay pregnancy because of economic uncertainty and concerns about the state of public health. The result could be up to half a million fewer births in the next year. Despite these predictions, some women are experiencing more limited access to family planning services and contraception during the pandemic. One-third of American women have reportedly delayed or canceled visiting their provider for reproductive healthcare services or have had trouble getting their birth control, citing concerns over contracting the virus, and an inability to pay. The percentage of those delaying care increases amongst low-income women and minority populations. "I'm not getting a lot of demand for family planning services, so that's where I'm worried," says Dr. Karen Lamp, a physician at Venice Family Clinic in Santa Monica, California. "I'm seeing a lot of women presenting late in pregnancy." On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Dr. Lamp about how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted her patients' access to reproductive healthcare and what that could mean for women as the pandemic continues.