Effects of Birth Control Empowerment Program for Married Immigrant Vietnamese Women in South Korea

The increasing trend of international marriage is an important phenomenon of this era of globalization and open economies. The proportion of international marriages in SouthKorea has increased significantly, from3.5% in 2000 to 7.0% in 2016[1]. The largest proportion of marriage immigrant women (MIW) in South Korea is from Vietnam [1]; the percentage of these immigrants increased from 25.1% in 2008 to 31.7% in 2016. Married women of reproductive age are at a higher risk of developing reproductive health issues pertaining to pregnancy, delivery, contraception, miscarriage than other age women [2]. Because most MIW move to Korea on the basis of marriage, they were reported to face the challenges of pregnancy and delivery without sufficient planning and preparation [3]. Birth control is an important topic for women of reproductive age. Although it was used to control population growth in the past, birth control now servesmainly to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies and has contributed to improvements in sexual health and quality of life for women [4]. Failed birth control leads to unwanted pregnancy and potential abortion, which could result in serious pain and suffering resulting from complications and other negative emotional factors [3]. Even if awomandecides to continuewith an unwanted pregnancy, inappropriate prenatal care could pose a significant risk to both the mother and unborn child [3]. Women can also experience fear of potential unwanted pregnancy, sexual dissatisfaction, and low self-esteem [5,6]. For these reasons, practicing birth control should be an essential and natural part of a safe and satisfying sex life. Despite its importance, existing studies report that birth control is practiced by amere 35.6%ofMIW inKorea compared to 79.9%.who also tend to have a low level of knowledge on the topic [4]. Vietnamese women’s communication and knowledge regarding contraception also appear to lag behind domestic Korean women [7]. Effects of Birth Control Empowerment Program for Married Immigrant Vietnamese Women in South Korea