The Relationship Between Family Planning Attitude and, Fear of COVID-19 and Perceived Risk of COVID-19 among in Women of Reproductive Age During the Pandemic Process

Abstract

Objective: There were interruptions in the maintenance and access to family planning services globally during the pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the Family Planning attitude and the fear and the perceived risk of COVID-19 in women of reproductive age. 
 Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted face-to-face with 423 women in a training and research hospital in December 2021. In the data collection form; Introductory information form, Attitude towards Family Planning Scale, Fear COVID-19 Scale and COVID-19 Perceived Risk Scale were included. In the analysis of the data, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests were used. Spearman's Correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationships between scale scores. 
 Results: The mean age of the participants was 36.75±7.56. During the pandemic period, 5.4% (n=23) of the participants stated that they had experienced unplanned pregnancy and 5.7% (n=24) experienced miscarriage. There was a statistically significant negative and weak correlation (r=-0.143; p=0.003) between the Participants' Attitudes Towards Family Planning Methods subscale and the Fear COVID-19 Scale, and the total score of the Attitudes Towards Family Planning Scale and the COVID-19 Perceived Risk Scale There was a statistically significant negative and weak correlation between emotional subscale scores (r=-0.131; p=0.007). 
 Conclusion: Considering the findings such as experiencing unwanted pregnancy and miscarriage during the pandemic process, withdrawal being the most frequently used method among the participants in the last two months, etc., it is considered that there is an unmet need for family planning during the pandemic process.