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Seoul: Difference between revisions

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Seoul (view source)

Revision as of 15:24, 12 December 2018

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As the largest city in South Korea, Seoul has fantastic and varied medical services. Contraceptives 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. While abortion is illegal, there are accounts of women secretly obtaining abortions. If you are pregnant and have the means to travel, it is advisable to seek abortions elsewhere, such as in mainland [[China]], [[Hong Kong]] or [[Japan]].  
As the largest city in South Korea, Seoul has advanced and varied medical services. Contraceptives 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. While abortion is illegal, there are accounts of women secretly obtaining abortions. If you are pregnant and have the means to travel, it is advisable to seek abortions elsewhere, such as in mainland [[China]], [[Hong Kong]] or [[Japan]].  


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Contraceptives are completely legal in South Korea, and they can typically be purchased without a prescription.<ref>[http://ocsotc.org/wp-content/uploads/worldmap/worldmap.html Global Oral Contraception Availability]</ref> You can buy many birth control brands, like Mercilon, without a prescription at pharmacies (if you ask the pharmacist for it). However, some contraceptive brands may require a prescription. For example, a female backpacker said that South Korean pharmacists told her that she needed a prescription for Yasmin.
In South Korea, you can purchase condoms and birth control pills at pharmacies without a prescription.<ref>[http://ocsotc.org/wp-content/uploads/worldmap/worldmap.html Global Oral Contraception Availability]</ref> <ref>[http://freethepill.org/where-on-earth/ Free the Pill: Where on Earth?]</ref> You can buy many birth control brands, like Mercilon, without a prescription at pharmacies (if you ask the pharmacist for it). However, some contraceptive brands may require a prescription. For example, a female backpacker said that South Korean pharmacists told her that she needed a prescription for Yasmin. However, for other forms of birth control, such as implants, injectables, and IUDs, you may need to directly visit a hospital or clinic to obtain them.


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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 discussion 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."<ref>[http://www.koreabang.com/2012/stories/law-on-contraceptive-pill-changes.html Law on Contraceptive Pill Changes]</ref>
In 2012, President Pak Geun-Hye and her 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 discussion 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."<ref>[http://www.koreabang.com/2012/stories/law-on-contraceptive-pill-changes.html Law on Contraceptive Pill Changes]</ref>


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* [http://khap.org/ Korea Federation for HIV/AIDS Prevention (KHAP)]: Provides free & anonymous tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, urethritis. Their HIV test are only for foreigners ("Our Testing both HIV Rapid and STD at any centers is offering basically for foreigners, not Koreans. Koreans are not available."). Reservation required by phone or website. Address: 30-6. Donam 1-dong Seongbuk-gu. 136-890. SEOUL KOREA ㆍTEL.82-2-927-4322 ㆍFax.82-2-927-4017, E-mail:khap@kaids.or.kr.
* [http://khap.org/ Korea Federation for HIV/AIDS Prevention (KHAP)]: Provides free & anonymous tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, urethritis. Their HIV tests are only for foreigners ("Our Testing both HIV Rapid and STD at any centers is offering basically for foreigners, not Koreans. Koreans are not available."). Reservation required by phone or website. Address: 30-6. Donam 1-dong Seongbuk-gu. 136-890. SEOUL KOREA ㆍTEL.82-2-927-4322 ㆍFax.82-2-927-4017, E-mail:khap@kaids.or.kr.


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* The cost of pads/sanitary napkins (the most common menstrual product in South Korea) is expensive, and the prices continue to rise. On GMarket (the largest ecommerce site in Korea), a 10-pack of pads costs 2,700원 , as of December 2017. This is more expensive than in many other developed countries. Meanwhile, some pad brands have experienced up to a 42% price increase between 2016 and 2017. To learn more about concerns related to pricing, click [https://qz.com/995025/an-outcry-over-diy-period-pads-has-sparked-a-national-menstruation-conversation-in-korea/ here].
* The cost of pads/sanitary napkins (the most common menstrual product in South Korea) is expensive, and the prices continue to rise. On GMarket (the largest ecommerce site in South Korea), a 10-pack of pads costs 2,700원 , as of December 2017. This is more expensive than in many other developed countries. Meanwhile, some pad brands have experienced up to a 42% price increase between 2016 and 2017. To learn more about concerns related to pricing, click [https://qz.com/995025/an-outcry-over-diy-period-pads-has-sparked-a-national-menstruation-conversation-in-korea/ here].


==Gynecological Exams== <!--T:58-->
==Gynecological Exams== <!--T:58-->
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