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KMID : 0892720090130020234
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Journal of the Korean Society of Maternal and Child Health
2009 Volume.13 No. 2 p.234 ~ p.244
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Factors associated with Induced Abortion among Married Women in South Korea
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Kuark Tong-Sun
Lee Sun-Mi
Chung Woo-Jin
Seo Moon-Hee
Park Chong-Yon
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Abstract
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Objective : The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing induced abortions for pregnancies among married women.
Methods : Data from the Korean National Fertility and Family Welfare Survey conducted in 2003 by the Korean Institute of Health and Social Affairs was used. Specially, female fertility history from 2001 to 2003 was served as the primary source of data for this study. During this period, there were 1,653 pregnancies in all, from this 1,415 pregnancies were selected for the final analysis excluding 238(14.4%) current pregnancies.
Results : First, female education of at least a middle school level was the most significant factor in reducing the practice of induced abortion. Second, women living in urban areas had a significantly reduced practice of induced abortions. Third, there was a significant increase in induced abortions for pregnancies in families with two or more children, together with a significant decrease in these abortions among women with at least one son. Fourth, in pregnancies due to contraceptive failure there was a much higher likelihood of an induced abortion. Last, either women who wanted a son or those who had known through a physical examination that the sex of the unborn child was male were likely to have induced abortion.
Conclusion : Korean women often turn to induced abortion to avoid unwanted pregnancies due to contraceptive failure and for sex-selection. It is necessary to provide the young couples with effective family planning services to reduce unwanted pregnancies and induced abortions.
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KEYWORD
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Induced abortion, Son preference, Contraception
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