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Family Planning in Times of COVID: Findings from a Remote Qualitative Research in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India

Kuhika Seth, International Center for Research on
Sneha Sharma, ICRW
Sharmishtha Nanda, International Center for Research On Women (ICRW)
Aishwarya Sahay, ICRW
Pranita Achyut, Icrw

The onset of COVID-19 presented saw the health systems in India struggling to keep up with the competing needs of people. While most efforts were redirected to the immediate COVID relief measures, other domains such as family planning and sexual and reproductive health were compromised. During June and July 2020, ICRW undertook a rapid remote qualitative study to assess the effect of COVID-19 on family planning demand and choices and its implications on engaging young men and couples in family planning. The study used telephonic qualitative research methods for this study, which were carried out in 2 districts of UP and Bihar. The study team identified 40 key informants of the local governance system, representatives of civil society organizations, members of women’s collectives, frontline workers. The pandemic enhanced certain structural (including gendered) barriers and further deepened the existing biases and gaps in the relationship between demand and supply with respect to family planning. While men faced pressures of earning, women had increased care-giving responsibilities and the interpersonal space of the couple saw increased conflicts – verbal, psychological and sexual. The increased demand of contraceptives was dampened by the insufficient supply and couples were struggling to address their family planning needs.

Keywords: COVID-19, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Qualitative data/methods/approaches

See extended abstract.

  Presented in Session P21.