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Influence of COVID-19 on Family Planning: Case of Bulgaria

Mariana Mourgova, University of National And World Economy Sofia Bulgaria
Petya Andreeva, PhD, MD, Associate Professor, Shterev Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria; South-West University, Blagoevgrad

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the entire world. The reflections are in all spheres of life – social, economic, medical and personal. The pandemic also illuminated many of the problems in the health systems of individual countries that have been negligible, such as the shortage of medical professionals. The Covid-19 pandemic also affected the decision of families or couples to have children, i.e. affected family planning. Some of the research initially focused on reproductive behaviour in Africa, where there was an increase in unintended pregnacies by 1,4 million (UN, 2021). In a sense, expectations in some countries in Europe were related to the "baby boom" during the pandemic, but these expectations did not happen. Aim: The aim of our study is to examine the influence of Covid-19 on the decision of families or couples to have children in Bulgaria, related to their demographic and socio-economic characteristics. Methodology: We are using data collected by interviewing patients at a reproductive health clinic in Sofia, Bulgaria. Women who undergo IVF procedures or become pregnant during the pandemic were quesioned according to their decision to have children despite the pandemic, and according to their demographic, social and economic characteristics.

Keywords: COVID-19, Family planning and contraception, Fertility and childbirth, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

See extended abstract.

  Presented in Session P4.