The impact of disasters on contraception in OECD member countries: a scoping review

Drawing the Linkage Between Women's Reproductive Health, Climate Change, Natural Disaster, and Climate-driven Migration: Focusing on Low- and Middle-income Countries - A Systematic Overview

Background

One of the most important aspects of women's well-being and welfare is RSH (reproductive and sexual health). Reproductive health is not an exception to the threat that CCC (climate change and climate crisis) poses to numerous facets of public health. Firstly, the present review seeks to identify the influence of climatic changes, natural disasters, and climate-driven migration on RSH. Secondly, to identify knowledge gaps regarding the same.

Material and Methods

Two databases (Scopus and PubMed) were scanned using Boolean operation. The literature search aimed to find records pertaining to topics of RSH and climate change. Using the PRISMA-ScR method, records were screened and shortlisted based on established inclusion criteria. This literature search was carried out in November 2022. In the shortlisted records, preference for the comprehensive review articles was given.

Results

The present review is based on 38 records that collectively revealed that climate crisis and natural disasters have many negative impacts on female reproductive health. These effects are observed in different phases of life, ranging from teenage to menopause. The unique strength of the present review is that it draws a relationship between female reproductive health and the direct as well as indirect effects of the CCC. The available literature about LMICs is predominantly confined to drought, flood, and earthquake. Disasters like tsunamis, cyclones, and avalanches remain unexplored.

Conclusion

From the available literature, it is quite evident that CCC has an adverse effect on a woman's reproductive life as well as a bearing on future generations' health. Filling these knowledge gaps is pivotal for designing more effective disaster and health policies. Policymakers should take into consideration these detrimental effects while designing health schemes and policies for females.

Trends and Factors Associated with Oral Contraceptive Use among Korean Women

Although oral contraceptives (OC) are widely used, few national-level epidemiologic studies have evaluated the prevalence of OC use and factors related to their use in Korea. We performed a population-based cross-sectional study on OC use by premenopausal women aged 20–59 years residing in Korea. We used secondary data from the 2010–2019 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine trends in the annual prevalence of OC use between 2010 and 2019, and factors influencing OC use. Based on data from 14,386 premenopausal women, the average annual prevalence of OC use was 8.2–10.7% between 2010 and 2014; it increased to 12.6–14.4% during 2015–2019. The prevalence of OC use was significantly higher in women with higher (≥5) than lower gravidity (<5). In addition, among sociodemographic factors, education level, household income, cigarette smoking, and alcohol drinking were significantly associated with OC use in Korean women. As OC use is affected by sociodemographic factors, a contraceptive plan that considers sociodemographic factors is needed to establish an effective family planning policy.