This article discusses the actual conditions, problems and improvement strategies for unmarried mothers in terms of the concept, factors, influence, the services of prevention and intervention, and health and social welfare services related to them.
Unmarried mothers are those who failed to meet the legal procedure of marriage and deliveror bear a baby. For this reason, they have to face the social stigma imposed upon them and thus are socially alienated.
The factors related to unmarried mothers are individual, psychological, family related, educational, social, and economical.
Because the unmarried mothers in Korea hide themselves, the statistics of the actual condition for them is somewhat incorrect. According to the statistics of Ministry of Health and Welfare, the unmarried mothers had been increased since the latter half of the 1970, and decreased since 1988. But this phenomenon of reduction in theses days is because of the contraception and abortion, and is different from a substance in terms of the rate of increase in premarital pregnancy.
To prevent and intervene the problems of the unmarried mothers, the counseling services, mass education campaigns, the strengthening of family function, and active social policies are available.
In conclusion, the issues of the unmarried mothers are very complex and critical problems related to woman and society. To resolve and improve this problem, the following approaches may be available.
The first, the active and systematic polices for woman based on the equality of gender need to be carried.
The second, the prevention services need to be more intensified than intervention services in terms of the establishment of the sexual ethics, education in home and society.
The third, because the present facilities for unmarried mothers are very insufficient more substantial services may be needed for their psychosocial adaptation.
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