• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.210-214
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• 2004

This study was carried out to predict the value of serum ${\beta}$ subunit of humans chorionic gonadotropin(${\beta}$- hCG) in early pregnancy viability. This was performed among 85 women in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET). The serum ${\beta}$-hCG levels were established for 30 normal singleton pregnancies, 10 twin and triplet pregnancies, 10 preclinical abortions, 10 clinical abortions, 20 biochemical abortions and 5 ectopic pregnancies. In comparison to normal singleton pregnancies, multiple pregnancies showed higher ${\beta}$-hCG. But clinical abortions, preclinical abortions and ectopic pregnancies showed lower ${\beta}$-hCG levels than singleton pregnancies. In conclusion, if we predict the value of serum ${\beta}$-hCG of variable early pregnancies and analyze it, we could predict the dilution protocol. Also, it can be useful in other ways.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.53-65
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• 1973

In order to explore the present status of induced abortion, a survey was conducted on 578 married women : 320 employed women, 165 urban and 93 rural housewives, during the period form June, 1972 to september, 1972. The results were as follows: 1. The rates of induced abortion in urban housewives, employed women and rural housewives were 50.3%, 30.3% and 1l.8%, respectively. 2. With regard to the duration of marital life, the rate of induced abortion was higher group of 11-16 and 17-22 years of duration than those of less than 4 years ana more than 23 years. 3. There were significant differences between housewives and the employed women. and also between urban and rural housewives in the rates of induced abortion. 4. The mean number of pregnancies was 4.9 and 4.8 for the rural and urban housewives while for the employed women was 2.1. 5. The mean number of live births was 4.5 and 3.2 for the rural and urban housewives while for the employed women was 2.1. 6. Average number of living children of the women who had experienced induced abortions was 4.8 and 3.1 for the rural and urban housewives while for the employed . women was 2.5. 7. There was a significant correlation between induced abortions and social class or educational level. The higher their level of education or social class, the more frequently women were experienced induced abortions. 8. There was a significant correlation between experience of induced abortions and family planning practice, vis., the women who had experienced induced abortions made more use of family planning practices.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.23-43
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to explore the determinants of induced abortions of married women in Korea, with focus on the socioeconomic factors including fertility behaviors and ideation regarding family values. Data from the 2000 Korea National Fertility Survey by Korea Institute of Health and Social Affairs were used for the research. In particular, the women´s fertility history from 1998 to 2000 was served as the main data for this study. Among 1,901 pregnancies in total, 1,612 pregnancy outcomes were selected for the final analysis. Chi-square test, Wilcoxon rank sum test and multivariate logistic regressions were employed to identify influential factors on induced abortions. According to the results, working women was more likely than those who did not work to terminate their pregnancy by an induced abortion. Women´s religion did not show any significant impact on an induced abortion. A pregnant woman already having more than or equal to two children was very likely to choose an induced abortion. Likewise, those in unwanted pregnancy showed high probability of induced abortions. However, contrary to what we believe, it turned out that the number of sons did not affect the choice of induced abortions.

• Issues in Feminism
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.123-158
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• 2010

For the last several months, abortion debates have sparkled in Korea. The government has escalated the need of active punishment of illegal abortions to solve low fertility problems, while some obstetricians and gynecologist have proclaimed stoppage of illegal abortions suing colleague doctors who has conducted illegal abortions. Women's rights groups and researchers have also responded to the abortion debate claiming that women's decisions over their pregnancy are important in making of abortion policies. To contribute to Korean abortion debates, his paper aims to analyze European experiences of abortion polices in relation to the consequences on women's health. For the analysis of European abortion experiences, three countries - Ireland, U.K, and Netherland -are chosen. These three countries are selected since their legal and social acceptance of abortion and the level of safe abortion system are different. Each country is reviewed by national abortion policy, legal regulation, medical system and the role of civil society. The analysis shows several implications for abortion debates occurring in Korea. Various systematic policy mechanisms - abortion on women' request, abortions without complicated doctor's referrals, transparent and anonymous counseling and information provision regarding abortion, training and education for medical professionals to guarantee high quality abortion, abortions funded publicly for women to improve their access to abortions, steady monitoring and auditing abortion procedures and outcomes for safe abortion and so on - are required in Korean society. Two track procedures - safe abortion on women's request and prevention of unwanted pregnancy - are needed for reproduction of healthy women and society.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.33-35
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• 2012

To evaluate the relationship between abortions and risk of breast cancer, we conducted a case-control study with 669 cases and 682 population-based controls in Jiangsu Province of China. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit detailed information. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The results have revealed that induced abortion was related to increased risk of breast caner. Premenopausal women who had ${\geq}3$ times of induced abortion were at increased crude OR (2.41, 95%CI: 1.09-5.42) and adjusted-OR (1.55, 95%CI: 1.15-5.68). Postmenopausal women with a previous induced abortion were at increased crude OR (2.04, 95%CI: 1.48-2.81) and adjusted-OR (1.82, 95%CI: 1.30-2.54), and there was a significant increase trend in OR with number of induced abortions (p for trend: 0.0001). Overall, spontaneous abortion did not significantly alter the risk of breast cancer, but postmenopausal women who had history of spontaneous abortion were at increased OR. These results suggested that relationship between breast cancer and abortions may depend on menopausal status and induced abortion may played an important role in the development of breast cancer in Jiangsu' women of China.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.371-374
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• 2012

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the major agents of infectious abortions and due to its worldwide distribution can threat healthy pregnant women who had no previous exposure to this parasite. The present study was designed to investigate the contribution of T. gondii to spontaneous abortions in Zanjan, Northwest of Iran, using ELISA method. Blood Samples were collected from 264 mothers referred to the provincial hospitals of Zanjan due to spontaneous abortion. The sera were isolated and subjected to evaluate the anti-Toxoplasma IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies. The results showed IgG positive ($IgG^+$) in 99 cases (37.5%). A total of 68 women (25.8%) showed seroconversion with IgM or IgA or both IgM and IgA. They included: $IgM^+$ in 21 (8.0%), $IgA^+$ in 23 (8.7%) and both $IgM^+$ and $IgA^+$ in 24 (9.1%) subjects. In 23 cases, positive titers of IgM and IgG were accompanied. In general, the analysis of anti-Toxoplasma antibody patterns, showed that about 17% of the spontaneous abortions were associated with serological patterns of acute infection. According to these findings, a considerable proportion of spontaneous abortions can be attributed to T. gondii in the study area.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2005

Objective: The purposes of this study were to investigate the types and the incidences of chromosomal abnormalities, and to provide an explanation for the genetic causations of recurrent spontaneous abortions in Korean population. Methods: Cytogenetic studies were carried out in 535 couples with at least two spontaneous first trimester abortions from January 1981 to December 2003. For karyotype analysis, we used modified Moorhead method by Giemsa staining and Giemsa-Trypsin-Giemsa banding Results: The overall incidence of chromosome abnormality was 32 out of 535 cases (5.98%). There were 25 cases (4.67%) of translocation and 7 cases (1.31%) of inversion. In translocation, 5 cases (0.93%) of Robertsonian translocation and 20 cases (3.74%) of reciprocal translocation were observed. In inversion, 6 cases (1.12%) of inversion of chromosome 9 and one case (0.19%) of inversion of chromosome 18 were found. Conclusion: In this study, overall chromosomal abnormality rate in couples with recurrent spontaneous abortions is much higher than that in the general population. So, chromosomal analysis should be offered for the prognostic information in genetic counseling such as prenatal diagnosis in couples with repetitive reproductive failure.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.223-231
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• 1991

During the years 1984 to 1989, in order to determine of chromosome abnormalities are associated with recurrent spontaneous abortions, cytogenetic studies were performed 384 couples. Abnormal karyotypes were found in 51(13.3%) couples. There was no apparent relation with the number of abortions. The abnormalities were as follows: 17(4.4%) balanced translocation; 15(3.9%) mosaicisms; 17(4.4%) pericentric inversion; 2(0.5%) addition or isochromosome. Chromosome abnormalities were observed in 34(67%) of the wives and 17(33%) of the husbands. In addition, we detected polymorphic variants of chromosomes in 89(23.2%) subjects. Reciprocal translocations(13/17) were more common than the robertsonian type(4/17). All of the mosaicisms were associated with the sex chromosomes in 10 females and 5 males subjects. Pericentric inversions were most common in chromosome 9. Compared to previously studied general populations, significantly higher frequencies of translocations, mosaicisms and inversions were found in couples with repetitive spontaneous abortion. This suggests that couples should have chromosome studies after two or more abortions.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 1992

Serum level of ${\beta}$ subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (${\beta}-hCG$) was studied to evaluate its predictability of pregnancy outcome in 98 in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET) patients using gonadotropin-releasing hormone(GnRH) agonist. Serial serum ${\beta}-hCG$ levels were established for 42 singleton pregnancies, 20 normal multiple pregnancies, 18 preclinical abortions, 14 clinical abortions and 4 ectopic pregnancies. In comparison to normal singleton pregnancies, multiple pregnancies showed significantly higher ${\beta}-hCG$ levels on the post-ET day 10 to 13 and day 24 to 25. Clinical abortions did not show significantly lower ${\beta}-hCG$ levels in early pregnancy except the post-ET day 16-17, but showed significantly lower ${\beta}-hCG$ levels from the post-ET day 22, compared with singleton pregnancies. Preclinical abortions showed significantly lower ${\beta}-hCG$ levels than those of singleton pregnancies. Ectopic pregnancies showed lower ${\beta}-hCG$ levels than those of singleton pregnancies without statistical significance. In conclusion, determination of serum ${\beta}-hCG$ level in early pregnancy is a useful tool for the prediction of preclinical abortions and multiple pregnancies and serial measurement of serum ${\beta}-hCG$ levels will be helpful in predicting clinical abortion.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 1990

Maternal serum ${\beta}$-specific human chorionic gonadotropin(${\beta}$-hCG) and pregnancy-specific ${\beta}_1$-glycoprotein($SP_1$) levels were determined more than one per week during 11-41 days post embryo transfer(ET) in 21 consecutive pregnancies after in vitro fertilization(IVF), which included 8 normal singleton pregnancies, 3 twin pregnancies, 4 clinical abortions, 1 ectopic pregnancy, and 5 preclinical abortions. The sensitivity of serum ${\beta}$-hCG and $SP_1$ radioimmunoassays was 3mIU/ml and 0.7ng/ml relatively. At the 7th to 8th week of gestation, ultrasonographic confirmation of fetal pole and fetal heartbeat was performed. Both serm ${\beta}$-hCG and $SP_1$ levels showed logarithmic increase, but log[$SP_1$] had more steep rising curve and had wider variation than log[${\beta}$-hCG] in normal singleton pregnancies. In 3 twin pregnancies and one ectopic pregnancy, both serum ${\beta}$-hCG and $SP_1$ levels located within the 95% confidence interval of the mean levels of 8 normal singleton pregnancies(normal range). In 2 clinical abortions which had a fetal pole without heartbeat, serum ${\beta}$-hCG level showed lower limit of the normal range or just below, but all $SP_1$ levels showed within the normal range. In other 2 clinical abortions which were diagnosed as blighted ovum, both serum ${\beta}$-hCG levels from 11 days post-ET and serum $SP_1$ levels from later days compared with ${\beta}$-hCG were below the normal range. In 5 preclinical abortions, serum $SP_1$ levels were within the normal range but serum ${\beta}$-hCG levels were far below the normal range. In conclusion, both serum ${\beta}$-hCG and $SP_1$ levels increased exponentially with similar pattern in normally conceived pregancy after IVF-ET. Both serum ${\beta}$-hCG and $SP_1$ levels could predict outcome of early pregnancy to a certain degree, but log[${\beta}$-hCG] levels had more significant correlation with outcome of pregnancy compared with log[$SP_1$] levels. In addition, ultrasonographic examination of fetal poles and fetal heartbeats gives very important clinical information and prognosis.