Kang Seongeun, Kato Kazuto
Department of Biomedical Ethics and Public Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
Department of Medical Humanities and Social Sciences, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Asian Bioeth Rev. 2024 Apr 11;16(4):711-737. doi: 10.1007/s41649-024-00293-6. eCollection 2024 Oct.
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.
在一个日益全球化的世界里，医疗保健和药物的可及性已超越了当地医疗系统和国家边界。本研究旨在调查11名在韩国居住至少六个月且使用过口服避孕药（包括非处方获取的避孕药）的日本女性的跨国健康和自我保健经历。通过半结构化访谈收集数据，并使用NVivo软件进行分析。分析得出三个重要的主题类别，即：（1）获取和使用避孕药（包括非处方获取）的经历和认知；（2）日本国内对避孕药及其可及性的个人和社会认知，来自实际使用者的见解；（3）提高避孕药的可及性、跨国健康和自我保健经历及观点。参与者承认口服避孕药是一种全球产品，由于对这些药物的理解不同，他们在与医疗保健提供者沟通时遇到了挑战。此外，本研究还确定了跨国策略，例如在出发前购买足够数量的避孕药以及向当地家庭或熟人寻求避孕药。本研究不仅强调了临床护理对跨国患者的影响，还凸显了他们对获取口服避孕药的重要全球视角。此外，它提出了两种在日本医疗系统内改善可及性的模式，即使在仅需处方的情况下，也可通过引入非处方选项来实现。
