Fertility preferences of Turkish married women during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had serious impact on the social, economic, psychological, and physical aspects of a large segment of the society, including women who were married or in stable relationships. Aim: To evaluate changes in the desire to become mothers among married women in Türkiye during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from a self-administered questionnaire that examined the demographics and fertility preferences of 520 married Turkish women. We used the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) to measure fear, depression and anxiety related to COVID-19. We evaluated fertility preferences before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 11.5. Results: Fifty of 112 study participants who planned to get pregnant halted their plans because of the pandemic. In contrast, 21 of 408 study participants who did not plan a pregnancy decided to get pregnant during the pandemic to enhance their positive disposition and overcome loneliness, and because of the increased leisure time and intimacy with their spouses. Mean scores (standard deviation) for all participants for PHQ-9, GAD-7, and FCV-19S were 7.4 (6.02), 4.93 (4.84), and 17.28 (6.16), respectively. Conclusion: This study highlights the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s fertility preferences in Türkiye due to uncertainty and anxiety. To confirm the results of this study, more research is needed to examine the longer-term impact and among a larger population.