Generating Evidence for Rebuilding SRH Services for Women and Girls in India: A cross-sectional study to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on women and girls

The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown has had an unprecedented impact on young women’s ability to access sexual and reproductive health (SRH) related information and services. Although many components of SRH care were declared as essential services by the Government of India, public health experts opine that access has still been significantly impacted due to various reasons, including: a) restrictions on movement of women and girls, b) repurposing of health facilities as COVID-19 treatment centres, c) redeployment of facility staff to COVID-19 services, d) suspension of transport facilities, e) disruption in the supply chain of drugs and equipment, f) federal government directives to suspend the provision of certain contraceptive methods, and g) redeployment of community outreach workers for COVID-19 duties disrupting the support channel between public health facilities and community women, particularly young women and girls.