North Korean women's reproductive health experience.

OBJECTIVES(S): The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of women's reproductive health in North Korea through statements from North Korean female refugees.

DESIGN AND SAMPLE

A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted using Colaizzi's methods. Through purposive and snowball sampling, a total of eight North Korean women refugees were recruited.

MEASURES

Data were collected through in-depth, unstructured interviews with individual participants.

RESULTS

A total of 18 themes, eight theme clusters, and three categories emerged. The three categories of North Korean women's reproductive health experience were: distorted sexual concepts, internalization of sexual repression, and threat of women's health rights. The study on the reproductive health experiences of North Korean women was based on the premise that their "right to health was threatened due to the internalization of sexual repression by distorted sexual concepts."

CONCLUSION

The reproductive health of North Korean women must be approached as a fundamental right, and as a human and health right.