The impact of the coronavirus on women must not be overlooked

Dr. Natalia Kanem, executive director of the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, released a statement on March 26, warning, “We must not forget that there are people we may not immediately see, who are at great risk as a result of the consequences of the crisis,” Kanem said, speaking of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pregnant women, who need antenatal care, but are unsure whether it is safe to go to the clinic. The women in abusive relationships trapped at home for the foreseeable future and fearing for their safety.”

Shelter-in-place mandates, as well as similar orders that restrict Americans to their homes, pose a great threat to women living with abusive partners. About one in four women in the U.S. have experienced and reported sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by their intimate partner, according to a 2015 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. This translates to approximately 43.6 million women nationwide. Being forced to stay at home with them disrupts daily routines and access to other environments a number of women could have potentially established to avoid this situation.

In terms of how the COVID-19 crisis impacts pregnant women, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not currently know if they have a greater chance of getting sick from COVID-19, whether it can cause problems during pregnancy, or if it may affect the health of their baby after birth. The World Health Organization recommends mothers take precautions and stay with their children, while others recommend that moms isolate from their kids. Although researchers are racing to find more definitive answers for these concerns, these conflicting messages can create mass panic and fear.

Kanem also highlighted how there are tens of millions of people in refugee camps, where social distancing is not an option. And, of course, she noted that the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is providing support to health workers and midwives in need of protection as well.

“In China, Iran, and the Philippines, for instance, we distributed essential hygiene and other items to the most vulnerable and personal protective equipment to health workers,” Kanem said. “And in Moldova we have launched an online dashboard for the health system that shows its current caseload, disaggregated by location, sex, age, and pregnancy status.”

At the same time, Kanem stressed that more must be done to ensure that the most intimate yet essential needs of women and young girls around the world are met during this crisis.

In terms of the physical virus, COVID-19 does seem to affect more men than women. At the same time, this won’t prevent women from being further victimized in terms of sexual/physical violence, becoming the sole care-taker of their children, or access to resources — and we must be vigilant of these consequences in the U.S. and all over the world.