A report on the reproductive health of women after the massive 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

Abstract Objective To evaluate the reproductive health of women in the aftermath of the 2008 Richter scale 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake in China. Methods Gynecologists surveyed 170 women using a questionnaire inquiring about symptoms of reproductive tract infection, menstruation disorders, satisfaction w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of gynecology and obstetrics 2010-02, Vol.108 (2), p.161-164
Main Authors: Liu, Shujuan, Han, Juntao, Xiao, Dan, Ma, Cuiling, Chen, Biliang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
China
China - epidemiology
Disasters - statistics & numerical data
Earthquakes - statistics & numerical data
Female
Fertility desire
Genital Diseases, Female - epidemiology
Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics
Humans
Medical sciences
Menstruation Disturbances - epidemiology
Middle Aged
Natural disaster
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Personal Satisfaction
Pregnancy
Quality of sexual life
Reproductive health
Sexual Behavior - psychology
Sexual Behavior - statistics & numerical data
Young Adult
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Summary:Abstract Objective To evaluate the reproductive health of women in the aftermath of the 2008 Richter scale 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake in China. Methods Gynecologists surveyed 170 women using a questionnaire inquiring about symptoms of reproductive tract infection, menstruation disorders, satisfaction with sexual life, and desire for fertility. Results The rates of symptoms of lower genital tract infection were higher after than before the earthquake (50.0% vs 26.5%), as were the rates for pelvic inflammatory disease (35.9% vs 19.4%) and menstruation disorders (51.8% vs 22.4%) ( P < 0.05 for all). At the same time, the women's satisfaction with their sexual life was markedly decreased; 89.4% of them said they would not pursue a plan to become pregnant; and 67.1% said they would request pregnancy termination if they became pregnant. Conclusion The findings of this first population-based assessment of reproductive health following the massive Wenchuan earthquake may help in shaping public health measures benefiting women surviving large-sale disasters.
ISSN:0020-7292
1879-3479
DOI:10.1016/j.ijgo.2009.08.030