key: cord-1034093-5wqwi132
authors: Peyravi, Mahmoudreza; Soltani, Ahmad; Ahmadi Marzaleh, Milad
title: Women’s Sexual Health in COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Solutions
date: 2020-08-24
journal: Prehospital and disaster medicine
DOI: 10.1017/s1049023x20001107
sha: 95d7c05d2a1e0eb8951dbe94fa1b230ccda1bee9
doc_id: 1034093
cord_uid: 5wqwi132

nan

access to health care tools, including women's sanitary pads; (12) reduction in the quality of sexual relations, especially among women; (13) potential risk of constant utilization of alcohol and antiseptics on women's reproductive system; (14) existence of sexual taboos, especially in eastern communities; (15) giving up the sexual desires of one's partner and/or husband under any conditions; (16) influence on access to contraception methods during the pandemic, causing a lot of unwanted pregnancies and lack of adequate care during pregnancy; (17) reduction in the tendency towards pregnancy for such reasons as the possible impact of the virus on the fetus, worries about access to ordinary health care services during pregnancy, and economic concerns; (18) increase in sexual tensions and tendencies among women; (19) specific health care issues among lesbians; (20) sexual arousal due to the lack or reduction of sexual intercourse during the COVID-19 pandemic; (21) social distancing risk factors; (22) growth of sexual exploitation by groups and gangs from women around the world; and (23) increase in unwanted abortions.

The following solutions and strategies are suggested for enhancing women's sexual health: (1) considering women and men as social groups with different needs and priorities during pandemics;

(2) fast diagnosis and treatment of the cases of sexual abuse;

(3) consultation and performance of screening for cervical cancer; (4) observing health care issues during sexual relations; (5) establishing visits and online, telephone-based, and messagebased visiting services specific to women; (6) offering purposive protocols and teachings to both the general public and service providers; (7) providing general public's access to emergency services during the quarantine and establishing a hot line for reporting the cases of familial and sexual violence; (8) codifying supportive and protective packages by the governments; (9) instructing measures for promotion of women's sexual health; (10) participation in family health counseling sessions or consultation with midwifery and family health professionals; (11) having free, easy, and continuous access to contraceptives and hygiene products; (12) expressing women's sexual desires and improving husbands' logical and healthy interactions; (13) increasing men's knowledge and awareness about problems and promoting women's sexual health; (14) making international and national efforts to eliminate harmful sexual taboos in eastern communities; and (15) developing healthy sexual communication protocols during pandemics.

Given the pandemic and daily increasing expansion of COVID-19 world-wide, paying special attention to women's health is of vital importance. Women have been considered among the sensitive groups and are consequently in need of special care. Sexual health care programs and guidelines for women should be codified in global, national, and local levels. Thus, health care policymakers are recommended to develop special protective programs for supporting women and girls so as to protect and enhance their health as well as the health of their families and the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan

A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a descriptive study

Updated understanding of the outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan

The authors would like to thank Ms. A. Keivanshekouh at the Research Improvement Center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (Shiraz, Iran) for improving the use of English in the manuscript.