Organon Korea, a spin-off from MSD Korea entering its third year, takes the lead in raising awareness and improving the environment for women's health issues, including contraception and infertility, establishing itself as a company specializing in women's health.

On Wednesday, Organon Korea held the “Her Health” media session to highlight the latest status and unmet contraception and fertility needs and provide accurate information about the company’s product portfolio.

As the issues of ultralow birthrate, unplanned pregnancy, and mothers in crisis emerge as significant challenges for society beyond women's health in Korea, the company said it wanted to deliver the latest information on contraception and fertility and broaden consensus on solving social issues.

Dr. Kim Sung-hoon, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Asan Medical Center and the president of the Korean Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health, and Koo Hwa-sun, director of Best of ME Women's Clinic, who is active in infertility treatment, presented their opinions.

Professor Kim explained the current status of contraception in Korea and the latest trends in contraceptive methods under the topic of “Contraceptive Options,”

"According to the 2021 artificial abortion survey conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on 8,500 women aged 15-49, the estimated number of artificial abortions in 2020 was more than 33,000," he said. "In particular, 46.2 percent of women who reported experiencing an artificial abortion did not use any contraception, and 41.3 percent chose extravaginal ejaculation or menstrual cycle methods, which are considered to have a high failure rate as contraceptive methods."

Unplanned pregnancies pose significant challenges for women, leading to increased maternal mortality due to inadequate prenatal care, decreased educational attainment, and a crisis in economic stability for mothers, including interruptions in schooling and career interruptions," Professor Kim said.

"If an unplanned pregnancy results in an abortion, the problem is compounded," Kim said.

He warned that it could leave physical sequelae, such as cervical atony, which is the leading cause of premature birth, uterine perforation, pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy, as well as psychological sequelae, such as guilt and depression.

Professor Kim pointed to "modern contraception" as the most effective way to prevent unplanned pregnancy, introducing Implanon as an example.

Implanon is a subcutaneous implant and long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) that can be removed anytime, resulting in a contraceptive success rate of only 0.05 percent within one year. It is administered through a simple procedure that involves inserting the implant inside the arm, eliminating the need for an intrauterine implant, and providing contraceptive protection for up to three years once inserted.

"Implanon is a modern contraceptive method that can maintain high contraceptive success rates because it is not affected by the method of use or daily life patterns after implantation, and most importantly, it is a relatively low procedural burden for patients with an average procedure of less than one minute," Kim added.

Professor Kim said in conclusion, “Raising awareness about contraception, further improving awareness of the contraceptive options available, and empowering women to take ownership of their family planning decisions will be key to preventing unplanned pregnancies."

Director Koo made a presentation on "The Journey of Infertility Treatment," explaining the current status of infertility treatment in Korea and the fertility drugs Puregon and Orgalutran.

"According to the 2021 Korea Healthcare Big Data, 17.2 percent of married women in Korea have experienced infertility, and the number of infertility patients reached 250,000 (about 160,000 women and 90,000 men)," Koo said. "In particular, the number of female infertility patients has increased by more than 10 percent annually, related to the higher age of first marriage."

Koo also shared the results of a study on the psychological burden and quality of life of infertility patients, which showed that more than one-third of infertility patients reported feeling “depressed” and “tired,” the most damaging factors affecting the quality of life of infertility patients.

"Each patient experiences a different treatment route during fertility treatment, and each patient needs a personalized treatment," Koo said, explaining the advantages of Puregon and Orgalutran in personalizing treatment.

"Puregon can be administered at a low dose (50 IU) and incremented by 25 IU, allowing for fine-tuning of the dose. Orgalutran is effective in a much shorter period than existing treatments," Koo said. "Puregon and Orgalutran have been used for more than one million cycles worldwide and in the Korean market for more than 20 years, helping improve the treatment environment for infertility patients."

Currently, the number of infertility patients is increasing due to complex factors such as late marriage and childbirth, Koo noted. She added that it is time to improve the treatment environment for a better fertility treatment journey along with infertility prevention through awareness of infertility factors.

Pyo Ji-hyun, executive director for external cooperation at Organon Korea, said, “As Korea's fertility rate continues to decline and the issue of mothers in crisis has recently become more prominent, it is important to provide society with up-to-date and accurate information on infertility and contraception."

As Organon is committed to providing solutions in this field and striving for better women's health, the company hopes that this media session will promote modern contraceptive options, raise awareness of the importance of women's reproductive decision-making, and draw attention to infertility treatment environments where there is a significant unmet physical and emotional need, Pyo added.