Fertility dynamics during COVID-19: exploring intentions in rural Bangladesh

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility intentions among families in the Rangpur region of Bangladesh, considering various socio-economic and demographic characteristics. The study aims to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced fertility decisions, patterns, and how different contextual factors are relevant to explain those intentions. This study adopted a qualitative methodological approach, utilizing a non-probability purposive sampling procedure to select sixty-five rural women as participants who conceived babies during the COVID-19 pandemic and seven health care providers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and KII to explore the factors influencing intentional and unintentional childbirths during the pandemic. The findings revealed that, among the respondents, intentional childbirths were more prevalent than unintentional childbirths. The perceived causes of intentional childbirth in rural areas were pandemic-induced factors, demographic characteristics and societal practices to have a baby. The factors to unintentional childbirth were limited access to reproductive health care services and contraceptives, leading to unplanned pregnancies. Additionally, the study highlights that COVID-19 related economic and health conditions did not have a significant impact on fertility decisions in rural areas. Societal norms and attitudes towards family planning, childbearing and family size played key roles in determining birth intentions. Overall, the research emphasizes the need for targeted policies and initiatives to address the challenges of fertility planning during a health crisis.