Study Analyzes Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes in Ontario, Canada, During Pandemic

A study, “Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes Among Adolescent Females During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” published in the March 2024 Pediatrics found rates of adolescent pregnancy and visits for contraceptive and sexually transmitted infection management declined in Ontario, Canada, during the pandemic and that existing inequities were amplified. The population-based cross-sectional study, published online Feb. 2, reviewed data from 630,000 female adolescents (ages 12-19) residing in Ontario during a pre-pandemic period (January 1, 2018 – February 29, 2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 1, 2020 – December 31, 2022). In the pre-pandemic period, the mean monthly rate of adolescent pregnancies conceived was 0.82 per 1,000 adolescent females. Adolescent pregnancy rates dropped at the pandemic’s onset and remained lower than expected throughout the pandemic period, with an overall rate of 0.65/1,000 adolescent females. The number of live births and abortions also declined during the pandemic. The decline in pregnancies was not consistent across different populations. Structurally vulnerable populations, including those with lower income and rural populations, had higher pregnancy rates and less decline in pregnancy rates. The authors also observe that visits for contraception management and other essential services had not returned to prepandemic levels at the end of the study period, though the health system had fully re-opened. They note that the adolescents are early in their reproductive life course, and that the pandemic may have sexual and reproductive health implications that have not yet become evident. 

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.