Their results show that some 1,214 (81.9 percent) did not intend to conceive during the pandemic crisis.
‘The foremost reasons that led people to not wanting to conceive during the COVID-19 pandemic included worries linked to future economic difficulties and consequences on pregnancy due to the disease.
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Moreover, of the 268 participants who were planning to have a child before the pandemic, over one-third (37.3 percent) then abandoned the intention.
The questionnaire carried out in the third week of the lockdown in Italy, surveyed 944 women (63.7 percent) and 538 men (36.3 percent) aged between 18-46 years, and in a stable heterosexual relationship for at least twelve months.
"In our study sample, the majority of participants gave significantly higher total scores to their mental wellbeing before the pandemic, while lowest scores were reported in the answers referred to the COVID-19 period," said study author Elisabetta Micelli.
"We aimed to evaluate if pandemic-related concerns and worries are affecting the desire for parenthood in couples who were already planning to have a child or if quarantine is encouraging reproductive desire," Micelli added.
Nevertheless, despite most people not wanting to conceive during the pandemic, 60 percent of the 268 correspondents already planning to conceive have carried on in their quest - with the experts suggesting that the fear of infertility potentially occurring in the future, outweighs the worries of the consequences of COVID-19 infection.
Additionally, some 140 (11.5 percent) people, in fact, revealed a new desire for parenthood during the quarantine. Specifically, the wish was mainly expressed by women.
The study also measured people''s reported levels of sexual activity. 712 respondents (66.3 percent) who did not experience the desire for parenting before the pandemic, nor during, reported no reduction in sexual intercourses - with no significant differences among genders.
Source: IANS
