Seoul: Difference between revisions

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As the largest city in South Korea, Seoul has advanced and varied medical services. Contraceptives (birth control) can be purchased at pharmacies over-the-counter though you need a doctor's prescription for emergency contraception. While many facilities offer STI tests, it is important to exercise caution and choose anonymous testing centers. If you are a foreigner and test positive for HIV/AIDS or syphilis, you will most likely be deported from South Korea. For many years, abortion was illegal, but the laws are currently in a state of transition (see "Abortion" section below for details). As of 2021, abortion appears to be on its way to being decriminalized, but abortion is still not available upon demand.<ref>[https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/10/12/south-korea-partially-recognizes-reproductive-rights South Korea Partially Recognizes Reproductive Rights]</ref>

According to a 2015 UN report, it was found that 78.7% of South Korean women (who were married/in unions and of reproductive age) used some form contraception. The most common methods were condoms (23.9%), male sterilization (16.5%), IUDs (12.6%), the rhythm method (9.7%) and female sterilization (5.8%).<ref name="un_contraceptivesreport2015">[http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/family/trendsContraceptiveUse2015Report.pdf Trends in Contraceptive Use 2015]</ref> Meanwhile, the usage of birth control pills by South Korean was very low, with estimates ranging between 2%<ref name="un_contraceptivesreport2015" /> and 2.8%.<ref>[http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20120607000915 Korean Herald])</ref> Many men and women also underwent the forced sterilization programs of the 1970s and 1980s.<ref>[https://thegrandnarrative.com/2012/02/16/korean-family-planning/ Learning From Korean Family Planning Advertisements of the 1960s-1980s]</ref>

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).<ref>[http://ec.princeton.edu/worldwide/ Princeton Emergency Contraception Website]</ref>