How Climate Change Is Affecting Women’s Reproductive Health

How Climate Change Is Affecting Women’s Reproductive Health

1. Extreme Heat and Pregnancy Risks

• Rising global temperatures expose pregnant women to heat stress, which can impair thermoregulation, increase cardiovascular strain, induce dehydration, and raise risks of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia International Confederation of Midwives+1.
• A meta-analysis found that each additional day of heatwave increases preterm birth by 16%, stillbirth by 46%, and low birth weight by 9% Springer Link.
• More recent data show that a 1 °C rise during the week before delivery correlates with a 6% increased risk of stillbirth, translating to around 4 extra stillbirths per 10,000 births United Nations Population Fund+1.

2. Air Pollution, Wildfire Smoke & Fertility

• Particulate matter (PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀) exposure during pregnancy is linked to pre‑term birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, and developmental disorders in infants time.com+13pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+13en.wikipedia.org+13.
• Wildfire smoke is particularly dangerous: each day of exposure has been associated with a nearly 0.5% rise in preterm birth risk, accounting for thousands of excess premature births pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
• Chronic exposure to traffic‑related pollutants and noise impairs fertility: women exposed to major roadways show lower IVF success, reduced implantation, and increased miscarriage risk pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

3. Water & Food Insecurity

• Climate impacts like drought, floods, and sea-level rise threaten water and food access. Women and girls often bear the burden of collecting water, sometimes walking hours, compounding malnutrition risks International Confederation of Midwives+4pbs.org+4aidspan.org+4.
• Malnutrition in pregnancy contributes to anemia, gestational diabetes, and low birth weight in infants—while mothers may sacrifice their own health for their children pbs.orgaidspan.orgrcog.org.uk.
• In Bangladesh, rising salinity in drinking water has been linked to high incidence of pre‑eclampsia, a dangerous condition in pregnancy theguardian.com.

4. Displacement, Service Disruption & Access to SRHR

• Natural disasters and climate‑driven displacement often disrupt access to reproductive healthcare—including abortion, family planning, prenatal and delivery care—leading to unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal mortality increases CNBC TV18+5aidspan.org+5rcog.org.uk+5.
• Lack of clean water and menstrual supplies in crisis zones further impairs women’s dignity, hygiene, and menstrual health management United Nations Population Fund+1.

5. Increased Gender-Based Violence & Socioeconomic Strain

• Climate shocks exacerbate gender-based violence, early marriage, transactional sex, and coercion—driven by economic stress, displacement, or extended travel for water and fuel collection United Nations Population FundCNBC TV18aidspan.orgen.wikipedia.org.
• A large study in South Asia found that each 1 °C rise in annual temperature predicted about a 4.5–6% rise in intimate partner violence, with projections showing up to 21% greater prevalence by century’s end reddit.com+1.
• Mental health burdens are high: women experience PTSD, depression, and emotional distress from disasters, and stress can directly trigger pregnancy complications like pre‑eclampsia and preterm birth pbs.orgaidspan.orgSpringer Linkepa.gov.

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 Policy, Adaptation, and Resilience Strategies

• Global organizations like UNFPA and RCOG urge inclusion of reproductive health in climate resilience and disaster planning—especially for women, girls, LGBTQIA+ persons, and marginalized groups United Nations Population Fund+1.
• On-the-ground initiatives—such as local health response committees, emergency transport systems, and reproductive services in humanitarian settings—are helping strengthen readiness and access engenderhealth.orgInternational Confederation of Midwives.
• Climate policy frameworks in a few nations (e.g. Cambodia, Vietnam) have begun to acknowledge gendered impacts, but most countries still lack gender-responsive adaptation strategies lemonde.fr.

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 Takeaways & Call to Action

Key Insights:

• Women’s reproductive health is deeply affected by heat, pollution, displacement, food and water insecurity, and violence exacerbated by climate change.
• Impacts range from it impacting fertility to pregnancy complications to broader rights and maternal mental health.

What needs to be done:

• Embed sexual and reproductive health services into climate adaptation, disaster response, and development planning.
• Prioritize investment in infrastructure (water, sanitation, hospitals), especially in vulnerable regions.
• Empower and listen to women and marginalized communities to ensure climate strategies are inclusive and trauma-informed.

Final Thought:
Climate change and women’s reproductive health are profoundly connected. Efforts to protect human health and rights must centre gender equity—ensuring women have access to care, relief, and resilience in the face of growing climate challenges.