The impact of COVID-19 on fertility behaviour and intentions in a middle income country

The COVID Pandemic may affect fertility behaviour and intentions in many ways. Restrictions on service provision reduce access to family planning services and increase fertility in the short term. By contrast, the economic uncertainty brought about by the pandemic and its impact on mental health and well-being may reduce fertility. These various pathways have been explored in the context of high income countries such as the United States and Western Europe, but little is known about middle income countries. In this paper we asses the impact of the COVID pandemic on fertility intentions and behaviour in the Republic of Moldova, a middle income country in Eastern Europe, using the Generations and Gender Survey. This survey was conducted partially before and partially after the onset of the pandemic in 2020, allowing for detailed comparisons of individual circumstances. The results indicate that the pandemic reduced the used of intrauterine devices, and increased the use of male condoms, but with no overall decrease in contraceptive use. Conversely individuals interviewed after the onset of the pandemic were 34.5% less likely to be trying to conceive, although medium term fertility intentions were unchanged. Indicators therefore suggest that in the medium term fertility intentions may not be affected by the pandemic but restricted access to contraception requiring medical consultation and a decrease in short-term fertility intentions could disrupt short term family planning.

Fertility intentions and child health in India: Women’s use of health services, breastfeeding, and official birth documentation following an unwanted birth

This study examines the relationship between women’s prospective fertility intentions and child health, measured via access to healthcare facilities for children and postpartum maternal behaviors that are indicative of future child health. We analyze two waves of nationally representative data (2005 and 2012) from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS). The analytic sample includes 3,442 non-pregnant, currently married women aged 18–40 in 2005 who participated in both rounds of the IHDS, and had at least one birth between 2005 and 2012. We investigate the influence of women’s prospective fertility intentions on access to benefits from the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), indicators of breastfeeding as recommended by the World Health Organization, and official documentation of births via birth certificates or registration. We find that 58 percent of births among women in the sample were labeled as unwanted. We use an adaptation of propensity score matching—the inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) estimator—and show that, after accounting for maternal and household characteristics that are known to be associated with maternal and child health, children who resulted from unwanted births were less likely to obtain any benefits or immunizations from the ICDS, to be breastfed within one hour of birth, and to have an official birth certificate. Results from this study have direct policy significance given the evidence that women’s fertility intentions can have negative implications for child health and wellbeing in the short and longer term.

Rural-Urban Migration, Childbearing Decision-Making, Fertility and Contraceptive Perspectives of Street Adolescents and Youth in Kampala, Uganda

Background This paper aimed at describing childbearing decision-making, fertility and contraceptive intentions and associated social demographic factors among disadvantaged street adolescents and youth in Kampala, Uganda while considering rural-urban migration aspects as an explanatory factor. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 513 adolescents and youth aged 12–24 years self-identifying as street adolescents and youth were interviewed with a structured questionnaire in 2019. Street adolescents and youth who migrated from other rural districts to Kampala were compared with those from the city. Street adolescents and youth who migrated from other rural districts to Kampala were classified as migrants while those without the rural experience were considered non-migrants. Logistic regression was applied to assess associations between independent factors and personal childbearing decision-making, fertility intentions and contraceptive intentions. Results Overall, 80.31% of the street adolescents and youth had a rural-urban migration experience. Fifty six percent (56.32%) of the street adolescents and youth made personal childbearing decisions, 94.15% expressed intentions to have children in the future and 42.88% expressed intentions to use contraceptives in the future. Intentions to use contraceptives were significantly higher among males (58.75%) than females (20%). Contraceptive intentions were positively associated with self-perceived permanent residential status (aOR = 10.26, 2.70-39.08), more intra-urban mobility (aOR = 4.99, 95%CI 1.50-16.59) and intentions to migrate to other towns within the country (aOR = 5.33,95%CI 1.59–17.80). Regarding migration aspects, street adolescents and youth who had cyclic movements between the city and district of origin were less likely to make personal childbearing decisions compared to those who never had repeat migration (aOR = 0.23, 95%CI 0.05–0.94). We found no significant association between the social demographic characteristics and fertility intentions. Conclusions Street adolescents and youth with a rural-urban migration experience have less control over personal childbearing decision-making and contraceptive intentions than the non-cyclic migrant counterparts. Factors that influence personal childbearing decision-making and contraceptive intentions among street adolescents and young people in Kampala city operate mainly at the interpersonal and local level, with migration and mobility patterns playing a central role in both perspectives. Programmes and services to prevent promote contraceptives and contraceptive use particularly among the vulnerable street adolescents and youth should take into consideration migration patterns of the street children.

Three dimensions of the relationship between gender role attitudes and fertility intentions

The relationship between gender role attitudes and fertility intentions is highly debated among social scientists. We emphasize the need for a multidimensional theoretical and empirical approach to extend the two-step behavioral gender revolution approach to a three-step attitudinal gender revolution approach distinguishing between gender roles in the public sphere, mothers’ role in the family, and fathers’ role in the family. Using the Generations and Gender Survey of eight European countries, we demonstrate the usefulness of such an approach. Gender equal attitudes related to the public sphere are more widespread than those concerning mothers’ or fathers’ roles in the family. Our results show that the association between gender role attitudes and fertility intentions varies—in terms of significance and magnitude—according to the dimension considered (gender roles in the public sphere, mothers’ and fathers’ role in the family), gender, parity, and country. We conclude that without a clear concept of and empirical distinction between the various elements of the gender role attitudes/fertility nexus, scientific investigations will continue to send conflicting messages.

Correction to: Fertility Intentions Within a 3-Year Time Frame: a Comparison Between Migrant and Native Italian Women

A Correction to this paper has been published: 10.1007/s12134-020-00800-2