The Contraceptive Methods Commonly Used by Korean Women... The Higher the Age, the Less Contraception Used

BOSAYEON "Contraception Must Be Practiced for Self-Determination"

A survey found that the older the age of women, the more likely they are not to use contraception.

According to the report "Status of Women's Contraceptive Practices," published on the 31st by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs based on last year's Korea Women's Life Cycle Sexual and Reproductive Health Survey, 54.6% of adolescents and 52.2% of early adults aged 19-39 who had sexual experience in the past year responded that they "always use contraception during sexual intercourse."

A survey revealed that the tendency to not use contraception increases with women's age, raising concerns about the need to expand contraceptive practices from the perspectives of health and self-determination.
[Photo source=Pixabay]

On the other hand, only 25.4% of middle-aged adults aged 40-64 said they always use contraception during sexual intercourse, and 66.6% said they do not use it at all. Among seniors aged 65 and over, 100% of respondents reported not using contraception at all.

The reasons early adults under 40 do not always use contraception included "discomfort using contraceptive devices" (40.7%), "feeling unlikely to get pregnant easily" (39.1%), and "neither partner prepared contraceptive devices" (28.5%). Middle-aged and elderly groups answered "no need to use contraception" (63.9% for middle-aged, 88.4% for elderly).

Regarding this, the report pointed out, "Since contraception has mainly been understood as a means to avoid pregnancy, middle-aged and elderly people who have little or no concern about pregnancy and childbirth tend to be indifferent to contraception and do not use it," adding, "Because contraception (condom use) also plays a role in preventing sexually transmitted infections, awareness should be improved to promote healthy sexual life and expand the scope of self-determination."

Main Contraceptive Methods Used Are Condoms, Withdrawal, and Menstrual Cycle Method

The most commonly used contraceptive methods among Korean women were found to be male condoms, withdrawal method, and menstrual cycle method.
[Photo source=Pixabay]

The most commonly used contraceptive methods among Korean women were found to be male condoms, withdrawal, and the menstrual cycle method.

Among women who had sexual experience in the past year, had not been pregnant or given birth, and were not menopausal, 85.3% of adolescents reported using condoms, followed by withdrawal at 64.0%, menstrual cycle method at 42.7%, oral contraceptives at 13.3%, and emergency contraceptives at 13.3%.

Among early adults under 40, 62.3% used condoms, 60.0% withdrawal, 36.6% menstrual cycle method, 17.1% oral contraceptives, and 11.2% emergency contraceptives (multiple responses allowed). Among middle-aged adults who used contraception, withdrawal (45.6%) and menstrual cycle method (36.0%) were more commonly used than condoms (29.8%).

When asked who mainly decided on contraception during sexual intercourse, 69.3% of adolescents and 52.4% of early adults answered that "both themselves and their sexual partners decided together."

The percentage of respondents who wanted to use condoms but could not because their partner did not want to was 22.7% for adolescents, 25.8% for early adults, and 23.8% for middle-aged adults.

Meanwhile, withdrawal and menstrual cycle methods, which are considered to have high failure rates, are referred to in academia as "safe contraception" or "modern contraception" when not used at all. The rate of practicing modern contraception in the past year was not high: 24.2% for adolescents, 28.2% for early adults, and 26.2% for middle-aged adults.

However, when broadly expanding the meaning of practicing modern contraception to include those who used the menstrual cycle method and withdrawal but also combined other safe contraceptive methods, the rates were 88.8% for adolescents, 73.9% for early adults, and 51.9% for middle-aged adults.

The report explained, "It can be seen that Korean women mostly use other contraceptive methods together with the menstrual cycle method and withdrawal during sexual intercourse."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.