The effects of climate change have been spoken about for a long time now. As the Earth continues to heat up, and we as a species continue to bear the brunt of our own actions — while looking at faster alternatives to combat the crisis at hand — one thing that comes to the fore is that women are more at the receiving end of extreme weather events.
New research has found that climate change impacts the sexual and reproductive health of women. The study was conducted by a US-based NGO Ipas50, in Bangladesh, Zambezia, Moazmbique and Khulna, between 2020 and 2021. It states that climate change affects girls and women disproportionately by exacerbating the gender inequalities that exist, disrupting their access to sexual as well as reproductive healthcare and lessens their economic opportunities that are anyway already limited.
It said climate change, either directly or indirectly affected women in terms of contraceptive use, pregnancy outcomes, fertility intentions, vulnerability to sexual and gender-based violence, sexual health and economic roles.
"The interrelations between reproductive health and climate change are profound and multifaceted. Climate change poses significant risks to reproductive health, as extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and changing ecosystems can disrupt access to healthcare, including reproductive services," said Anjal Prakash, an author on the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The effects of climate change are not "gender neutral." UN Women, an entity under the United Nations that is dedicated to empowerment of women and gender equality, in a blog post in February 2022, said the effects of climate change on girls and women amplified the existing gender inequalities and put their health, safety and livelihoods at risk.
"Some impacts of climate change are because of the biological predisposition and ensuing resilience or vulnerability. Most impacts are due to gender and social inequalities. Pre-existing inequalities will reinforce gender and social inequities. We have seen how COVID had differential effects depending on age, class, caste, gender and prior health conditions. Similarly, we will experience climate change impacts if a variety of inequalities and vulnerabilities are not addressed urgently," said Dr Lakshmi Lingam, retired professor, TISS.
Also Read: Climate change | New study finds clear 'human fingerprint' even in upper stratosphere
Let us delve into some of the effects of climate change on the sexual and reproductive health of girls and women:
1.Pregnancies: The Ipas50 research found that pregnant women, especially, are at risk because of climate change, facing an increased risk of miscarriage, early labour or pregnancy complications that can lead to injury, illness or death.
The study found that the period just before, during as well as after any extreme weather event, like cyclones, is when the access to abortion, contraception and pregnancy is most compromised.
UN Women, in another blog post, stated research has indicated that extreme heat can increase incidences of stillbirth. According to research conducted by the National Library of Medicine — National Center for Biotechnology Information in the US, a 1 degree Celsius rise during the week preceding delivery was associated with 6 percent rise in risk during the warm season — May to September period. This translates to around four additional stillbirths per 10,000 births. Even though more investigation was warranted, evidence pointed to a relation between negative birth outcomes and extreme heat, the blog post stated.
2. Infections and diseases: Also in extreme weather conditions, women are also prone to infections. The Ipas50 study quoted a participant as saying that a tidal wave means all water becomes one, leading to the spread of pollution and poison.
The participant said the water does not just stay till the knee, but also goes up to the chest, thereby causing other reproductive health issues for women such as infections. Due to climate change, vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and zika virus increase, which in turn are also linked to worse neonatal and maternal outcomes such as premature birth, miscarriage, anaemia, microcephaly, UN Women stated.
The women Ipas50 surveyed stated they experienced urinary tract infections, vaginal itching, irritation and discharge, wounds in uterus, vaginal sores, tumours in uterus and uterine cancer.
3. Sexual harassment and violence: In Bangladesh, the Ipas50 study found that the very cyclone centres that were constructed to provide refuge when extreme weather events occurred, unintentionally put girls and women at risk of sexual harassment because of poor security, crowded conditions, electricity outages as well as lack of separate toilets.
The research found that women reported to have experienced sexual harassment while collecting disaster relief following cyclones.
Also, the participants in the study, directly linked the stress and economic instability in the aftermath of extreme weather events to rise in intimate partner violence, transactional sex, dowry and in-law abuse, sexual harassment, and child marriage or early marriage.
4. Difficult menstrual cycles and unintended pregnancies Prakash said climate-related disasters also result in displacement, therefore increased vulnerability, which lead to limited access to family planning, increased risk of sexual violence, and higher rates of unintended pregnancies. The surveyed participants by Ipas50 said the impact of climate change also led to them experiencing extreme period pain, poor menstrual hygiene as well as unintended pregnancies, either earlier than expected or in teens, as well as due to forgotten, destroyed or missed birth control pills.
5. Abortions: Participants of the Ipas50 survey said they experienced difficulty in accessing abortion care at health facilities, some had to undergo self-managed abortion via unsafe methods, and some even mentioned post-abortion complications.
COP28 to host 'Health Day' — a first in COP history
In a first, COP28 this year, will be hosting a 'Health Day', a first in COP history. Sultan Al Jaber, the COP28 President, said the world needs to broaden its definition of adapting in order to enable global climate resilience, enhance forestry land use and water management and transform food systems.
"Focusing on health in the context of climate change is of paramount importance. Climate change poses significant threats to human health, including increased risks of infectious diseases, heat-related illnesses, malnutrition, and mental health challenges. By prioritising health, we can mitigate these adverse effects and build resilience in vulnerable populations. Promoting access to healthcare services, strengthening healthcare systems, and implementing climate-resilient infrastructure are crucial steps," Prakash said, adding that investing in research and surveillance systems to monitor the health impacts of climate change and educating communities about preventive measures can also help safeguard public health in the face of this global challenge.
Also Read: Explained: How to reduce green hydrogen costs for sustainable energy
