Seoul

South Korea / Seoul National Capital Area / Seoul

OVERVIEW

Contraception

Laws & Social Stigmas

Contraceptives are completely legal in South Korea and can be purchased in a pharmacy. In 2012, President Pak Geun-Hye and his conservative government announced that the Korean Food & Drug Administration was considering reclassification of birth control pills, which would make the pills prescription-only. This caused public outrage and wide online discuss of the issue. Three months later, the proposal was dropped. It was decided to put the reclassification on hold for three years -- and, to this day, it seems to remain on hold. As reported in Korea Bang, "Asides from the 'woman’s right to choose' argument, one of the reasons Korean women get upset over the issue is perhaps cultural: unmarried Korean women rarely visit a gynaecologist. Even when seriously ill, a visit to a gynaecology clinic would be reluctant for fear of the disapproving stares around them. That’s not to mention the social pressure on Korean women to remain sexually naïve." (Source: Law on Contraceptive Pill Changes).

In 2015, it was estimated that 78% of South Koreans use any form contraception (Source: UN Report). However, only 2..8% of Korean women use the birth control pill (Source: Korean Herald). Many men and women also underwent the forced sterilization programs of the 1970s and 1980s (Source: Learning From Korean Family Planning Advertisements of the 1960s-1980s). Condoms also appear to be more popular than oral contraceptives.

What to Get & Where to Get It

In Korean, birth control pills are 피임약 (pronounced "pi-im yak"). The most popular brand in Korea is Mercilon (머시론). You can purchase condoms in convenience stores, pharmacies, Olive Young, Watson's, and sometimes in subway vending machines. There's also 에이리스, which s a low hormone option, costs about 10,000 won for a 21-pill pack. Another brand is 멜리안정 (me-li-an-jung), but a woman reported loss of sex drive. There's also 센스리베.

It appears that you can get the Nuvaring in South Korea, but we don't have much information on this (anyone?).

As for IUDs in South Korea, one poster on Reddit wrote: "IUDs are great, but the general consensus over here, unlike in the US, is that they're bad for unmarried women, so she may have trouble getting a doctor to consider it here. I had a hospital gynecologist here who tried very hard to convince me to have mine taken out." (Source: Help! Buying Birth Control in South Korea...).

Recommended Clinics/Pharmacies:

• MediFlower Clinic near 교대 is great

Costs

Birth control pills are 6-8,000 won for one month’s supply.

Emergency Contraception

Important Note: The earlier you take emergency contraception, the more effectively it will work. Take it as soon as possible.

Laws & Social Stigmas

Morning after pills (사후 피임약) are only available with a prescription. As explained by the International Consortium for Emergency Contraception, "EC currently still requires a prescription. Although in August 2012 the Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) decided to repeal an earlier initiative that would have approved EC for over-the-counter use, due to intense debate within the country among various stakeholders, the KFDA abandoned the reclassification initiative." (Source: EC Status and Availability, South Korea).

What to Get & Where to Get It

To get an EC prescription, you will need to go to a doctor. It is recommended to visit a women's clinic for the prescription rather than a hospital. You will find it especially difficult to secure an EC prescription at a Christian hospital. When you are seeking EC, it is customary that the doctor will ask some questions about your cycle, last period, etc. After they have written a prescription, you can bring it to a pharmacy ("yak-guk" in Korean).

For dedicated EC that is anti-progestin, there's ellaOne (take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex). For dedicated EC that is progestin only, there's After1, Norlevo One and Postinor 1 (take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex). There's also Levonia, Levonormin, MS Pill and Sexcon One&One (take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex). If you absolutely cannot secure emergency contraceptives, you can use some oral contraceptives as EC instead. In Korea, there's Minivlar or Sexcon (take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later) or Alesse (take 5 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 5 more pills 12 hours later).

Costs

The morning after pill should only cost between 10,000 and 20,000 won. The doctor's visit might cost around 10,000 won.

Medications

What to Get & Where to Get It

For nearly all medications in Korea, you need a prescription from a doctor. For yeast infection medication, you can ask for the "Canesten" at the pharmacy (though I believe you need a prescription first), which is similar to Monistat or Lotrimin. Pharmacies should have both the cream and suppository types of Canesten. The word for suppository in Korean is "좌약" (prounounced as "jwa yak"). For UTIs, you will also need to see a doctor for treatment. Be sure to specify that you believe it is a UTI, otherwise the doctors may assume that you have an STI (due to the burning sensation). For herpes, Valtrex is not readily available (as of 2012), but there is a generic version in Korea. Regarding HPV vaccines, the government approved Gardasil for females (ages 9-26) and males (9-15) in 2007. Since 2016, it has been a part of the National Immunization Program, and all children under 12 in South Korea receive the vaccination free of charge. Regarding HIV medication, the Korean government seems to bar foreigners with HIV/AIDS from entering the country. It also requires that all foreign teachers take HIV tests. If foreigners are found to be HIV+, they will most likely be deported. As for locals with HIV/AIDS, there seem to be no special treatment centers in South Korea. There also no known distributors or trials for PrEP.

Gynecological Exams

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Medi-Flower OB/GYN Clinic - Recommended. Located next to the Seoul National University of Education Metro stop. The female Korean doctor speaks English.