Sexual and reproductive health during COVID-19
Published: 13 April 2023
Two new studies from the National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles COVID study (Natsal-COVID), which is co-led by the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, explore contraception-related health inequalities, and sexual behaviour and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes during the first year of the pandemic
Two new studies from the National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles COVID study (Natsal-COVID), which is co-led by the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, explore contraception-related health inequalities, and sexual behaviour and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes during the first year of the pandemic.
The Natsal-COVID study was designed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on Britain’s sexual and reproductive health (SRH). The Natsal-COVID Wave 1 survey and qualitative follow-up interviews were conducted in 2020. The second wave, which informs two new papers, was designed to track behaviour over a longer period and provide 1-year estimates for important sexual and reproductive health outcomes.
These were:
- patterns of sexual behaviour;
- sexual health and service use;
- pregnancies, abortions, and fertility management;
- sexual function and quality of sex life in the year after the first lockdown in Britain.
The online Natsal-COVID-Wave 2 survey was completed by 6658 British residents aged 18–59, with 92% having had some sexual experience in their lifetime.
Contraceptive services were significantly disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic in Britain. Just under a third of Natsal-COVID-Wave 2 study participants sought contraceptive services during the pandemic and most were successful, indicating resilience and adaptability of service delivery. However, one in six reported an unmet need due to the pandemic. This unmet need was associated with younger age, diverse sexual identities and anxiety symptoms.
The survey also revealed that the lower prevalence of people having condomless sex with multiple or new partners during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic was still evident one year after Britain’s first lockdown. While there were fewer reported unplanned pregnancies and abortions than a decade before, respondents had significantly higher levels of sexual dissatisfaction and worries about their sex life.
Related links
- Natsal-COVID study website
- Baxter AJ, Geary RS, Dema E, et al Contraceptive use and pregnancy planning in Britain during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from a large, quasi-representative survey (Natsal-COVID). BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health Published Online First: 23 March 2023. doi: 10.1136/bmjsrh-2022-201763
First published: 13 April 2023
