Exploring Future Directions for Korean Medical Infertility Programs: Insights from In-Depth Interviews with Female Participants

Seul Gi Lee; Yelim Lee; Hyein Jeong; Byunghee Choi; Hanul Kim; Kyeong Han Kim; Lee, Seul Gi; Lee, Yelim; Jeong, Hyein; Choi, Byunghee; Kim, Hanul; Kim, Kyeong Han

doi:10.13048/jkm.25008

JKM > Volume 46(1); 2025 > Article

Lee, Lee, Jeong, Choi, Kim, and Kim: Exploring Future Directions for Korean Medical Infertility Programs: Insights from In-Depth Interviews with Female Participants

Original Article

The Journal of Korean Medicine 2025; 46(1): 103-122.

Published online: March 01, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13048/jkm.25008

Exploring Future Directions for Korean Medical Infertility Programs: Insights from In-Depth Interviews with Female Participants

Seul Gi Lee¹^{, §}

, Yelim Lee¹^{, §}

, Hyein Jeong²^{, §}

, Byunghee Choi³

, Hanul Kim³

, Kyeong Han Kim⁴^{, *}

¹Department of Korean Medicine, Woosuk University

²Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University

³KM policy team, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine

⁴Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Woosuk University

Correspondence to: Kyeong Han Kim, College of Korean Medicine, Woosuk University, 61 seonneomeo 3-gil, wansan-gu, Jeonju 54986, Republic of Korea, Tel: +82-63-290-9031, E-mail: solip922@hanmail.net

§ These authors contributed equally.

Received January 22, 2025 Revised February 18, 2025 Accepted February 20, 2025

Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to analyze participants' opinions on the Korean Medicine Infertility Support Program through interviews.

Methods

In-depth interviews were conducted with six people who participated in the Korean medicine infertility program, and each interview lasted approximately 30 minutes in August 2024.

Results

Four participants who had undergone Western medical infertility treatment reported difficulties with it. All six participants in the study were eligible for the infertility program and received treatment with Korean medicine. They were satisfied with their pregnancy or experienced physical and psychological improvements. Some participants believed that combining Western and Korean medical treatments could have a positive impact on infertility treatment. Participants suggested improvements such as better promotion, a more streamlined application process, standardized treatment protocols, and expanding the target population.

Conclusions

This study provides valuable insights into the experiences of participants in the Korean medicine infertility program and highlights the need to compare Western and Korean medical approaches to infertility treatment.

Keywords: Infertility, Subfertility, Interview, Korean Medicine Treatment, Infertility support program

Table 1

List of Questionnaire

Classification	Category
Basic information	Gender
	Age
	Institution of infertility diagnosis
	Time of Infertility Diagnosis
	Current number of children
	Experience with Western medical infertility treatments

Awareness of Korean medicine infertility program	Perceived necessity of the program
	Overview of the system and contents of the participated program
	Awareness and satisfaction with the program’s contents
	Inconveniences and areas for improvement in program participation

Awareness of Korean medicine infertility treatment program	Types of experienced Korean medicine infertility treatments
	Cycle and duration of experienced treatments
	Effectiveness and Safety of Korean medicine infertility treatment
	Perceptions of Korean medicine infertility treatment from medical doctors
	Perceptions of Korean medicine infertility treatment from acquaintances and family
	Requirements for effective and safe Korean medicine infertility treatment

Developmental directions for the Korean medicine infertility program	Awareness of integrative treatment in the Western and Korean medicine infertility programs
	Requirements for the expansion of the Korean medicine infertility program

Table 2

Basic Information of Interviewee

Participant	Age (Year of birth)	infertility diagnosis year	Current children number	Participation period of Korean medicine infertility	Pregnancy
A1	34 (1990)	2022	1	1 month	success
A2	36 (1989)	2023	2	3 months	success
A3	41 (1983)	2018	1	more than 10 months (ongoing)	-
B1	38 (1987)	-	2	6 months 1 month	success
B2	37 (1987)	-	1	4 months	success (IVF)
B3	36 (1988)	-	0	more than 6 months (ongoing)	-

IVF: In vitro fertilization

Table 3

The Extracted Themes of the Study

Theme	sub-theme	category
Government-supported Western Medicine infertility programs	Basic information on procedures	participants, treatment, period, result

	Satisfaction	economic
		psychological
		physical
		clinic visits
		pregnancy

	Perception of medical infertility procedures	own and acquaintances

Government-supported Korean Medicine infertility programs	Basic information on procedures	participants, treatment, period, result

	Satisfaction	pregnancy success
		health recovery and physical improvement
		emotional stability improvement

	Perception of the Korean medicine infertility program	heard from acquaintances
		heard from doctors
		personal perception

Developmental directions for the Korean medicine infertility programs	Perception of Integrative infertility Treatment in Western and Korean Medicine infertility programs	infertility treatment
		infertility Screening

	Program expansion and improvement areas	promotion
		application process
		limitations of Korean medicine treatment
		treatment content
		support duration
		expansion of the target population

Table 4

Basic information on the Western medical procedure

participants	treatment experience	treatment period	Pregnancy outcome
A1	IUI twice	-	failure
A2	OI	1 and a half years	failure
A3	IUI twice, IVF twice	3 and a half years	miscarriage
B1	none	-	-
B2	IVF	6 months	success
B3	none	-	-

IUI:Intrauterine insemination; OI:Ovulation induction; IVF: In vitro fertilization

Table 5

Basic information on the Korean medical procedure

participants	treatment experience	Procedure period	Pregnancy outcome
A1	complex treatment (acu, herb)	1 month	success
A2	complex treatment (acu, herb, moxi, cup)	3 months	success
A3	complex treatment(acu, cup, herb)	more than 10 months	-
B1	complex treatment(acu, moxi, herb, pharm acu)	6 months(1st) 1 month(2nd)	success
B2	complex treatment (acu, moxi, herb, pharm acu)	4 months	success(IVF)
B3	complex treatment(acu, moxi, cup, herb)	more than 6 months	-

acu:acupuncture; herb:herbal medicine; moxi:moxibustion; cup:cupping; IVF:In vitro fertilization

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