Top

BMC Public Health

Published in:

Open Access 01-12-2021 | Contraception | Research article

Guidelines and best practice recommendations on reproductive health services provision amid COVID-19 pandemic: scoping review

Authors: Lemi Belay Tolu, Garumma Tolu Feyissa, Wondimu Gudu Jeldu

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2021

Abstract

Background

Policymakers and health professionals prefer to use summarized evidence of practice recommendations. The aim of this scoping review is therefore to identify available guidelines, consensus statements, the standard of practice, and practice recommendations on reproductive health service provision during the COVID-19 pandemics.

Methods

We searched guideline databases and websites of professional associations and international organizations working on sexual and reproductive health. We looked for practice recommendations on sexual reproductive health services (SRH) during COVID-19 pandemics. Additionally, we searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. Data extraction was done by two independent reviewers using a customized tool that was developed to record the key information of the source that’s relevant to the review question. The difference between the two authors on data extraction was resolved by discussion.

Results

A total of 21 records were included in the review. Identified recommendations were classified into thematic areas. The records addressed approaches to antenatal care, labour and delivery, postnatal care, safe abortion, contraception, gender-based violence, and artificial reproduction.

Conclusions

There were consistent consensus statements and recommendations that there should be access to sexual and reproductive health services like antenatal care (ANC), postnatal care (PNC), contraception service, safe abortion care, and clinical management of rape survivors during the COVID-19 pandemics with the concerted effort of service re-organization. The practice recommendations focus on innovative ways of service provision to minimize patient and staff exposure to COVID-19 as well as alleviate the burden on the health care system. These include utilizing telemedicine and community/home-based care or self-care.

Available only for authorised users

Adhikari SP, Meng S, Wu Y-J, Mao Y-P, Ye R-X, Wang Q-Z, et al. Epidemiology, causes, clinical manifestation and diagnosis, prevention and control of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during the early outbreak period: a scoping review. Infect Dis Poverty. 2020;9(1):1–12.CrossRef

No Touch Medication Abortion Protocol [Available from https://www.reproductiveaccess.org/resource/no-touch-mab-protocol/.

RANZCOG - COVID-19: Access to reproductive health services [Available from https://ranzcog.edu.au/news/covid-19-access-to-reproductive-health-services.

World Health Organization. COVID-19: operational guidance for maintaining essential health services during an outbreak: interim guidance. Available at https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/331561. Accessed 25 Mar 2020.

World Health Organization. Clinical management of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) when COVID-19 disease is suspected: interim guidance. Available at https://www.who.int/docs/defaultsource/coronaviruse/clinical-management-of-novel-cov.pdf. Accessed 13 Mar 2020.

Huynh G, Nguyen MQ, Tran TT, Nguyen VT, Nguyen TV, Do THT, et al. Knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding COVID-19 among chronic illness patients at outpatient departments in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Risk Manage Healthc Policy. 2020;13:1571.CrossRef

Afzal MS, Khan A, Qureshi UUR, Saleem S, Saqib MAN, Shabbir RMK, et al. Community-based assessment of knowledge, attitude, practices and risk factors regarding COVID-19 among Pakistanis residents during a recent outbreak: a cross-sectional survey. J Community Health. 2020:1–11.

Marie Stopes International (MSI) response to the COVID-19 crisis %U https://www.mariestopes.org/covid-19.

Sochas L, Channon AA, Nam S. Counting indirect crisis-related deaths in the context of a low-resilience health system: the case of maternal and neonatal health during the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. Health Policy Plan. 2017;32(suppl_3):iii32–i9.CrossRef

10.

The scoping review framework - JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis - JBI GLOBAL WIKI [Available from https://wiki.jbi.global/display/MANUAL/11.1.3+The+scoping+review+framework.

11.

RCOG. Guidance for antenatal screening and ultrasound in pregnancy in the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Version 1: Published Monday 23 March 2020. Available at: https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronaviruspregnancy/

12.

Boelig RC, Manuck T, Oliver EA, Di Mascio D, Saccone G, Bellussi F, Berghella V. Labor and delivery guidance for COVID-19. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2020;2(2):100110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajogmf.2020.100110. Epub 2020 Mar 25. PMID: 32518901; PMCID: PMC7270486.

13.

Rasmussen, Sonja A, and Denise J Jamieson. “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Pregnancy: Responding to a Rapidly Evolving Situation.” Obstetrics and gynecology. 2020;135(5):999-1002. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000003873.

14.

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), Dotters-Latz S, Hughes B. Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Pregnancy: What Maternal-Fetal Medicine Subspecialists need to know. https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.smfm.org/media/2267/COVID19-_updated_3-17-20_PDF.pdf.

15.

FIGO. Global interim guidance on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during pregnancy and puerperium from FIGO and allied partners: Information for healthcare professionals. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/IJGO.13156.

16.

RCM/RCOG. Guidance for antenatal and postnatal services during the evolving Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Available at: https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronaviruspregnancy/

17.

NHS. A clinical guide for the temporary re-organization of intrapartum maternity care during the coronavirus pandemic. April 9. Version 1. available at https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/04/C0241-specialty-guide-intrapartum-maternity-care-9-april-2020.pdf.

18.

RCOG. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection in Pregnancy. Published Monday 23 March 2020. Available at: https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronaviruspregnancy/

19.

RCM. Optimizing maternity services and maternal and newborn outcomes in a pandemic. A rapid analytic scoping review. 2020. https://www.rcm.org.uk/media/3869/rapid-review-optimising-maternity-services-for-rcm-v4-8-april.pdf.

20.

ICM. Women's Rights in Childbirth Must be Upheld During the Coronavirus Pandemic: ICM OFFICIAL STATEMENT; 2020. www.internationalmidwives.org

21.

RCOG. Guidance for provision of midwife-led settings and home birth in the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Information for healthcare professionals Version 1: Published April 9, 2020. Available at: https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronaviruspregnancy.

22.

Reproductive access project. Contraception in the Time of COVID-19 [Available from https://www.reproductiveaccess.org/resource/contraception-covid/.

23.

FSRH CEU: information to support the management of individuals requesting to discontinue contraception to plan pregnancy during the Covid-19 outbreak (26 March 2020) - Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare [Available from https://www.fsrh.org/documents/fsrh-ceu-information-to-support-management-of-individuals/.

24.

World Health Organization (WHO). Contraception/ family planning, and COVID-19%U https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/contraception-family-planning-and-covid-19.

25.

FIGO. COVID-19 Contraception and Family Planning. https://www.figo.org/covid-19-contraception-and-family-planning [Available from https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/covid-19-virus-infection-and-pregnancy/.

26.

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Modern Contraceptives and Other Medical Supply Needs, Including for COVID-19 Prevention, Protection and Response [Available from: /resources/sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-modern-contraceptives-and-other-medical-supply.

27.

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare and the British Society and Abortion Care Providers. Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and abortion care %U https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-abortion. Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists.

28.

Faculty of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare. FSRH CEU clinical advice to support the provision of effective contraception during the COVID-19 outbreak. 2020. Available: https://www.fsrh.org/documents/fsrh-ceu-clinical-advice-to-support-provision-of-effective/

29.

McNicholas C, Swor E, Wan L, Peipert JF. Prolonged use of the etonogestrel implant and levonorgestrel intrauterine device: 2 years beyond Food and Drug Administration-approved duration. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2017;216(6):586.e1–6.CrossRef

30.

FSRH, RCOG, RCM, and BSACP launch joint guidance on COVID-19 and abortion care - Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare %U https://www.fsrh.org/news/fsrh-rcog-and-bsacp-guidance-on-covid-19-abortion.

31.

FSRH, RCOG & RCM statement provision of postpartum contraception during Covid-19 - Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare [Available from https://www.fsrh.org/documents/fsrh-rcog-rcm-statement-postpartum-contraception-covid19/.

32.

National Abortion Federation. Abortion & COVID-19 [Available from: https://prochoice.org/abortion-covid-19/.

33.

FSRH Position: Essential SRH Services during COVID-19 March 2020 - Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare %U https://www.fsrh.org/documents/fsrh-position-essential-srh-services-during-covid-19-march-2020.

34.

American College of Surgeons. COVID-19: Elective Case Triage Guidelines for Surgical Care,March 24,2020 [Available from: https://www.facs.org/covid-19/clinical-guidance/elective-case.

35.

UNFPA. COVID-19: A Gender Lens [Available from: /resources/covid-19-gender-lens.

36.

UN Women. COVID-19 and ending violence against women and girls | Digital library: Publications [Available from https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/04/issue-brief-covid-19-and-ending-violence-against-women-and-girls.

37.

Fertility Society of Australia » COVID-19 Information [Available from https://www.fertilitysociety.com.au/home/fsa-statement-covid-19/.

38.

ESHRE News [Available from https://www.eshre.eu/Press-Room/ESHRE-News#COVID19_April2.

39.

Guidance for the care of fertility patients during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic » British Fertility Society [Available from https://www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk/2020/03/18/guidance-for-the-care-of-fertility-patients-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/.

40.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance for professionals | Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority [Available from https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/covid-19-and-fertility-treatment/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-professionals/.

41.

Patient Management and Clinical Recommendations During The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic - updated March 30, 2020, | ASRM [Available from https://www.asrm.org/Patient-Mgmt-COVID-19.

42.

Guidance on Fertility care and surgery during COVID-19 | 19 March 2020 [Available from https://sasreg.co.za/guidance-on-fertility-care-and-surgery-during-covid-19-19-march-2020/.

43.

Camara BS, Delamou A, Diro E, Béavogui AH, El Ayadi AM, Sidibé S, et al. Effect of the 2014/2015 Ebola outbreak on reproductive health services in a rural district of Guinea: an ecological study. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2017;111(1):22–9.CrossRef

44.

Health worker roles in providing safe abortion care and post-abortion contraception available at https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/181041/9789241549264_eng.pdf;jsessionid=ACEFC080B3B4467165B25DF15720AD24?sequence=1. World Health O, editor. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.

Title: Guidelines and best practice recommendations on reproductive health services provision amid COVID-19 pandemic: scoping review
Authors: Lemi Belay Tolu
Garumma Tolu Feyissa
Wondimu Gudu Jeldu
Publication date: 01-12-2021
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keywords: Contraception
SARS-CoV-2
Care
COVID-19
Telemedicine
Published in: BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10346-2

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Guidelines and best practice recommendations on reproductive health services provision amid COVID-19 pandemic: scoping review

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2021

Educational differences in diabetes and diabetes self-management behaviours in WHO SAGE countries

Spatial spillover and COVID-19 spread in the U.S.

Feasibility of and barriers to thalassemia screening in migrant populations: a cross-sectional study of Myanmar and Cambodian migrants in Thailand

Stroke and cardiovascular risk factors among working-aged Finnish migraineurs

The association of workplace smoke-free policies on individual smoking and quitting-related behaviours

Sociodemographic factors and social media use in 9-year-old children: the Generation R Study