Experiences of Unwed Mothers

Choi, Yang Ja; Kim, Kwuy Bun

doi:2004.10.4.331

Korean J Women Health Nurs > Volume 10(4); 2004 > Article

Original Article

Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing 2004;10(4):331-341.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2004.10.4.331

Experiences of Unwed Mothers

Yang Ja Choi, Kwuy Bun Kim

¹Redcross College of Nursing, Korea. cyja@redcross.ac.kr
²Kyung Hee University, College of Nursing Science, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was conducted to explore the experience of unwed mothers, to describe the structure of the understanding of this experience for mothers and to explore nursing interventions for this situation. METHODS: The subjects were 4 unwed mothers. The data was collected by in-depth interviews and participant observations from February 2004 to June 2004. Each person was interviewed 4-5times, taking about one and a half hours for each session. Data was analyzed by the phenomenological method suggested by Giorgi. RESULT: The understanding of the experience of unwed mothers resulted in "lightness of sexual cognition", "knowledge deficit of pregnancy", "suffering form pregnancy", "ambivalence of the situation", "appearance of mothering", "worrying about society's view". CONCLUSION: Sex education programs, a one-round, formal lecture-type education is presently dominant, so that education and training programs can be systematized at school and home. The difficult point for unwed mothers to endure is that society doesn't accept them; therefore, we have to change our point of view, and try to work out the problems.

Key Words: Unmarried mothers; Experience