What is the impact of the COVID-19-pandemic on the sexuality?

The COVID-19-pandemic seems to affect the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young adults. Blame, Social Distancing and limited access to contraception, for example.

In a study by the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, and Rutgers University, impact of the COVID-19-pandemic on the sexual life of adolescents and young adults. The results were published in the English journal “Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health.”

Effects of COVID-19 for young people

The COVID-19-pandemic, particularly for teenagers and young adults in enormous changes. To include the impact of school, for example, that much more closing time together with the family, the interruption of the normal path to more independence and a very limited or no physical proximity to potential partners.

What problems can arise?

On the one hand, the pandemic for some young people to fewer opportunities for sexual contacts, leads, on the other hand, difficulties in access to contraception and abortion can be extremely problematic for teenagers and young adults, that keep in contact with their partners during the pandemic to maintain.

How can the problems be solved?

Advertisement

Of course, many forms of contraception, and Tests via the Internet to obtain it. the implementation of Tests for sexually transmissible diseases can be partly with the help of tele-medicine settled. The use and the offer for telemedicine should be developed, while the Coronavirus pandemic, furthermore, could improve the access to sexual and reproductive health care for young people, reports the researchers.

Consequences of lack of privacy and confidentiality

However, the lack of privacy and confidentiality, many adolescents and young adults experience during the time at home with your family can impede the ability to obtain the necessary sexual and reproductive health care.

Problems with a scheduled abortion

With regard to the use of abortion there is not specifically about young people, a lot of data. Many countries, however, have tried to, access to abortion, to limit, by arguing that it is an essential service. But in the case of abortion, it is important to timely intervention, what makes you, according to the research group to an essential service.

Must be expected in the future with more sexually transmitted infections?

In times of COVID-19 there are also significant difficulties in Tests for sexually transmitted infections. It could be very alarming, a drop in vaccinations for all children over two years were observed. The use of the HPV vaccine that can prevent cancer-causing infections and precursors of the disease has also fallen sharply, report the researchers.

Further difficulties for certain groups of people

Advertisement

To see the so-called LGBTQ young people. LGBTQ summarises people are heterosexual, or the identity of gender does not correspond to the classic model of male and female. For some of these young people, who are often not properly accepted by their families, can lead to the months-long quarantine to considerable tension, whereby the Affected isolate may be stronger.

Digital technology helps in COVID-19 times

Social Distancing affect the health and well-being of young adults, but fortunately, most of the young adults with Online platforms and social media are very familiar. Frequently many people had been of the opinion that the constant use of digital technology by young adults could have a negative impact. At the present time, digital technology could be very positive to, for example, to make contacts, relationships and partnerships to maintain digital medical advice. (as)

Authors and source of information