Provision of postpartum contraception before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Maine Journal Article uri icon
Overview
abstract
  • OBJECTIVE: Preliminary findings from selected health systems revealed interruptions in reproductive health care services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We estimated changes in postpartum contraceptive provision associated with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Maine. METHODS: We used the Maine Health Data Organization's All Payer Claims Database for deliveries from October 2015 through March 2021 (n = 45 916). Using an interrupted time-series analysis design, we estimated changes in provision rates of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), permanent contraception, and moderately effective contraception within 3 and 60 days of delivery after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We performed 6- and 12-month analyses (April 2020-September 2020, April 2020-March 2021) as compared with the reference period (October 2015-March 2020). We used Poisson regression models to calculate level-change rate ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs. RESULTS: The 6-month analysis found that provision of LARC (RR = 1.89; 95% CI, 1.76-2.02) and moderately effective contraception (RR = 1.51; 95% CI, 1.33-1.72) within 3 days of delivery increased at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, while provision of LARC (RR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93-0.97) and moderately effective contraception (RR = 1.08; 95% CI, 1.05-1.11) within 60 days of delivery was stable. Rates of provision of permanent contraception within 3 days (RR = 0.70; 95% CI, 0.63-0.78) and 60 days (RR = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.63-0.80) decreased. RRs from the 12-month analysis were generally attenuated. CONCLUSION: Disruptions in postpartum provision of permanent contraception occurred at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Maine. Public health policies should include guidance for contraceptive provision during public health emergencies and consider designating permanent contraception as a nonelective procedure.

  • Link to Article
    publication date
  • 2023
  • published in
    Research
    keywords
  • COVID-19 Health Policy
  • Coronavirus Infections
  • Postpartum Period
  • Public Health
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Additional Document Info
    volume
  • 138
  • issue
  • 4