Trends in Pregnancy Rates in an Urban Adolescent Clinic Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. (June 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fitzgerald, Shannon L.; Davis, Shannon; Dahlberg, Suzanne; Waddicor, Kathleen; Gordon, Catherine M.
• Is Part Of: Clinical pediatrics. Volume 62:Number 5(2023)
• Page Start: 481
• Page End: 484
• Publication Date: 2023-06
• Subjects: adolescents -- pregnancy -- COVID-19; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; 618.920005
• DOI: 10.1177/00099228221137479
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-9228

Abstract

We examined COVID-19 pandemic-related changes on reproductive health care delivery and pregnancy rates in an adolescent clinic. Through a retrospective data collection as part of quality improvement project, we compared the number of pregnancies, visit percentages for newly diagnosed pregnancies, and number/percentage of long acting reversible contraception (LARC) visits. The percentage of visits for newly diagnosed pregnancies during the first 3 months of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-June 2020) increased significantly relative to pre-pandemic percentages while the absolute number of new pregnancies only trended upward. Over the same timeframe, the total number of LARC visits decreased, although they consisted of a higher percentage of all in-person visits than pre-pandemic. After the first few months of the pandemic, these values returned to pre-pandemic levels. The substantial increase in the rate of new pregnancies during the first 3 to 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the importance of prioritizing access to reproductive health care services for adolescents and young adults.