Everyone has been struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost everyone has seen their lives change immensely, and most people are experiencing extreme stress due to lifestyle and financial changes. With that said, some people are having a harder time than others, and COVID-19 has spelled trouble for women’s health.

The pandemic has shifted work and school into the home, with women shouldering a large portion of responsibilities like cooking, cleaning, and childcare. On top of that, the war on women’s health is being exacerbated by a lack of access and other issues caused by social distancing measures. Here’s how COVID is threatening women’s health overall.

How is COVID Impacting Women’s Health? 

When it comes to family roles and women’s health, a lot has evolved over the last several decades. Women are working and some men are taking on more domestic tasks to help their partners. Unfortunately, that trend seems to be reversing in many households during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The potential impact of this on women’s health is unknown, but it could affect both domestic relationships and women’s mental health. Burnout, stress, and frustration from the lopsided division of labor, with many women still holding down jobs while teaching and caring for children, can cause mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

On top of the mental health aspect of COVID-related changes, women may be getting less sleep, causing their physical health to suffer. Women who suffer from conditions like heart disease may be at higher risk for COVID-19 and problems like sleep deprivation or stress only make things worse.

During the pandemic, some women haven’t had access to their normal healthcare providers, causing them to put off important appointments or neglect mental healthcare. The implications of this for long-term health could be devastating and while telehealth is helping to bridge the gap, many women are not getting the care they need during this pandemic. Some have lost their health insurance as well, which can prevent them from seeking care and getting their prescriptions for financial reasons.

COVID and Pregnancy 

Another worry for women during COVID-19 is pregnancy and prenatal care. It’s not entirely clear how COVID could affect pregnant women or a developing fetus, but even without those concerns, women are not able to get the same level of pregnancy support during the pandemic that they would get otherwise.

Routine women’s health procedures during pregnancy, such as ultrasounds, may be limited during the pandemic. While many pregnancies proceed with no problems, there is the risk that problems will not be detected until it is too late to take action. Women need support from their doctors and their loved ones during pregnancy but COVID is making it difficult for them to get that support.

Women who wish to end their pregnancy safely face additional roadblocks in some regions during the pandemic. The war on women’s health has caused clinics in many states to stop offering abortions, leaving women with few choices for safe termination, especially with limited travel options. On top of that, abortions in some states have been considered non-essential or elective during the pandemic, effectively forcing women to carry their pregnancies to term.

Additional Women’s Health Concerns During COVID

As if women weren’t facing enough health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still a few more concerns for women of all ages. Access to birth control, STD information and testing, and gynecological healthcare is limited in many areas at the best of times and is now nearly impossible for some women to get. The most vulnerable communities are at the highest risk during this time, and experts are worried that the pandemic could make family planning and disease prevention next to impossible for some women.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 is only making the war on women’s health worse. States that have restricted access to women’s healthcare are taking advantage of the pandemic to even further limit who can access preventative care, abortions, and birth control. These services are often essential and restricting access can threaten women’s lives and well-being.

Women who are pregnant or struggling to keep up with working and taking care of the home during COVID-19 need support. We need to ensure that as we fight one public health crisis, we do not abandon the fight for women’s right to quality healthcare. Women make up half the population. It’s long past time to ensure that they get the care they need, every time.