COVID-19 as a multidisciplinary problem: impact on reproductive health (Literature review)

Abstract

COVID-19 is an infectious disease which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). According to the WHO, on March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. Undoubtedly, no one will deny that infectious pathology occupied and is occupying a significant place among all diseases of different age groups. The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus infection is a vivid proof of this.There is probably no such person in the world who would never “has his own little war” with infectious pathogens. Therefore, the disease is constantly looking for means that would give it an advantage in the fight against pathogens. Research in recent years indicates that COVID-19 affects not only the respiratory, circulatory and nervous systems, but also the reproductive system, in particular the female one.The article is devoted to a review of scientific publications that describe the impact of COVID-19 on women’s reproductive health. The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked debate in the scientific community focusing on the risk of menstrual changes in women with COVID-19, such as disorders in the duration, frequency, regularity, and volume of menstruation (including increased bleeding and clotting), increased severity of dysmenorrhea, and premenstrual syndrome. However, there is not enough data or information about the impact of COVID-19 on reproductive health.The problem of remote potential negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s reproductive health is becoming more and more relevant in the practice of gynecologists. It is important to emphasize the need for high-quality work of gynecologists, which includes early diagnosis of reproductive disorders, adequate diagnosis and treatment in order to prevent complications in case of ovarian-menstrual cycle disorders, infertility and miscarriage.Unfortunately, to date there are no unambiguous data on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the reproductive system. Therefore, further research into the long-term consequences of the transferred coronavirus infection in women of reproductive age is critically important.