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KMID : 0892720150190010103
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Journal of the Korean Society of Maternal and Child Health
2015 Volume.19 No. 1 p.103 ~ p.109
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The Health Conditions of the North Korean Women Defectors and the Marriage Immigrant Women
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Moon Ga-Eul
Park Bo-Ra
Lee Eun-Sil
Choi Gyu-Yeon
Lee Jeong-Jae
Lee Im-Soon
Lee Joon-Hwan
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Abstract
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Purpose: This study attempts to understand the current health conditions of the North Korean women defectors and the marriage immigrant women by conducting medical examinations to them in order to prepare better healthcare programs for the women.
Methods: From July 2011 to February 2013, complimentary medical examinations were conducted for eight times to the North Korean women defectors and the marriage immigrant women under the support of International Aid Korea (IAK) and seven obstetrics and gynecology hospitals and clinics. The number of total examinee was 219 composed of 138 North Korean women defectors and 81 marriage immigrant women. The study items included routine gynecological examinations, BMD (bone mineral density), test of hemoglobin level, hepatitis B antigen/antibody, Pap. smear, and sexually transmitted infections (syphilis, HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomonas, HPV).
Results: Anemia was diagnosed for 32.8% of the North Korean women defectors and 67% of the marriage immigrant women. The hepatitis B antigen positive rate was 11.8% for the North Korean women defectors and 6.7% for the marriage immigrant women while the hepatitis B antibody positive rate was 80.3% for the North Korean women defectors and 67% for the marriage immigrant women. In the result of BMD, 48.6% of the North Korean women defectors and 46.9% of the marriage immigrant women had osteopenia or osteoporosis. The result of Pap smear revealed abnormal findings of 4.1% for the North Korean women defectors and 4.3% for the marriage immigrant women. HPV positive rate was 29.1% for the North Korean women defectors and 22.4% for the marriage immigrant women. In the tests for sexually transmitted infection, 4.5% of the North Korean women and 8.2% of the marriage immigrant women were positive to chlamydia and 4.5% of the North Korean women defectors and 2% of the marriage immigrant women were positive to trichomonas.
Conclusion: There are 18,776 North Korean women defectors and 206,369 marriage immigrant women who are living in South Korea. Most of them are socially and economically disadvantaged and belong to vulnerable class who are in a lack of access to appropriate medical care. This was a fundamental study to understand the current health conditions of the North Korean women defectors and the marriage immigrant women. Further studies with larger population and more developed research frameworks will provide not only meaningful health statistics of the North Korean women defectors and the marriage immigrant women, but also give better direction for effective health support programs for the underprivileged women.
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KEYWORD
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womens health, North Korean women defectors, marriage immigrant women
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