pISSN 1226-6051
eISSN 2508-786X
eISSN 2508-786X
Perception and actual condition of sex and contraception of North Korean defector women after settlement in South Korea
| Education and recognition of sexuality | • All research subjects received sex education at least once after their arrival in South Korea, and got information on new contraceptives through peer groups and mass media abundantly. |
| • Regardless of marital status, North Korean defector women visited the obstetrics and gynecology department for the purpose of examination, treatment and contraception in South Korea. | |
| • Female students in their 20s learned more about contraceptive methods, and active exchange and internet access and use enabled active self-learning. | |
| • The majority of the study participants believed that not only women but also men who escaped from North Korea should be equally responsible for sexual relations and contraception, and that North Korean men also need the same number and level of contraceptive education as women. | |
| • For the effective education method, all subjects preferred lectures by healthcare professionals and wanted to be provided at least 3 times during their stay in Hanawon or Hana Center. | |
| • In addition, there were various educational methods such as comic books, video materials, and interviews with experts. However, if there were any questions or problems after the lectures, they would like to have a 1:1 consultation with the lecturers. | |
| • In the case of a participant in the 50s who lived in a patriarchal, closed, socio-cultural environments, the defector women expressed desire to inform her daughters about the effects of contraception, pros and cons, and how to use oral contraceptives, etc. | |
| Examples of application and experiences of contraception | • Although all participants were aware of oral contraceptives after defecting, only one out of six subjects actually took oral contraceptives in South Korea. |
| • Participants in their 20s stated that she took oral contraceptives for the purpose of adjusting the menstrual cycle and that she also had contraceptive use immediately after sexual intercourse for the purpose of contraception. | |
| Summary | • There has been a change in the awareness of contraception among North Korean women who settled in South Korea. |
| • Through repetitive education, women who had escaped from North Korea and then settled in South Korea were able to live happily in keeping with their health status. | |