Transnational Health and Self-care Experiences of Japanese Women who have taken Oral Contraceptives in South Korea, including Over-the-counter Access: Insights from Semi-structured Interviews

Kang, Seongeun; Kato, Kazuto

Asian Bioethics Review, 2024, 16(4), 711-737

Number of Access:210（2025-07-01 21:18 Counts）

Identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/11094/95725

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Title
Transnational Health and Self-care Experiences of Japanese Women who have taken Oral Contraceptives in South Korea, including Over-the-counter Access: Insights from Semi-structured Interviews
Creator
CreatorName
Kang, Seongeun
NRID
1000010202011 1000010202011
ORCID
0000-0001-9006-9551 0000-0001-9006-9551
researchmap permalink
KatoOUMed KatoOUMed
Scopus Author ID
57349178000 57349178000
CreatorName
Kato, Kazuto
Subject
Global perspectives
Medical pluralism
Oral contraceptives
Over-the-counter access
Self-care
Transnational health-seeking
Description
The version of record of this article, first published in Asian Bioethics Review, is available online at Publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41649-024-00293-6.
Abstract
In an increasingly globalized world, the accessibility of healthcare and medication has expanded beyond local healthcare systems and national borders. This study aims to investigate the transnational health and self-care experiences of 11 Japanese women who have resided in South Korea for a minimum of six months and have utilized oral contraceptives, including those that were acquired over-the-counter (OTC). Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed by utilizing the NVivo software. The analysis yielded three significant thematic categories, namely (1) experiences and perceptions of obtaining and utilizing contraceptive pills, including OTC access; (2) individual and social perceptions of pills and their accessibility in Japan, insights from actual users; and (3) enhancing pill accessibility, transnational health and self-care experiences and perspectives. Participants acknowledged that oral contraceptives are a global product and experienced communication challenges with healthcare providers as a result of differing understandings of these medications. Additionally, this study identified transnational strategies, such as purchasing an adequate supply of pills just before departure and seeking pills from local families or acquaintances. This study not only highlights the implications of clinical care for transnational patients but also underscores their critical global perspectives on access to oral contraceptives. Furthermore, it proposes two models for improving accessibility within the Japanese healthcare system, even in prescription-only contexts, by introducing OTC options.
Publisher
Springer
Source Title
Asian Bioethics Review
Volume (Issue)
16(4)
Page
711-737
Date of Issued
2024-04-11
Language
English
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/11094/95725
PISSN
17938759
eISSN
17939453
Relation.isIdenticalTo
DOI (Publisher Version)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41649-024-00293-6
Access Rights
open access
CopyRight
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
oaire:version
Version of Record
Category
学術雑誌論文 Journal Article