Suwon Implements "Menarche Voucher" Program—Nation's First

Suwon City will become the first city in the nation to implement the "Menarche Voucher" program, a women adolescent health screening initiative.

On the 30th, Suwon City signed a memorandum of understanding with regional obstetrics and gynecology clinics and Suwon Healthy Family Support Center to operate the menarche voucher program.

The operational MOU signing ceremony for the "Menarche Voucher" held at Suwon City Hall's situation room was attended by Mayor Yeom Tae-young, Kim Hong-soo, director of the Suwon Medical Association's OB/GYN Branch, and Gang Mi-jung, director of Suwon Healthy Family Support Center.

Six obstetrics and gynecology clinics and hospitals participating in medical services combining professional counseling, examinations, and education are Best OB/GYN Clinic, WomenPlus Women's Hospital, Eden Medi Women's Hospital, Dream of May OB/GYN Clinic, ShuzMedi Hospital, and Win OB/GYN Hospital.

The menarche voucher, branded as "Growing Girl," is a customized sexual health project that connects schools with community-based obstetrics and gynecology clinics by having OB/GYN specialists visit schools to provide proper sexual health education to female adolescents who have many questions about sexuality but limited opportunities for professional medical consultation and sex education.

Suwon City plans to connect schools with community medical services (obstetrics and gynecology) and provide continuous sexual health education and counseling by OB/GYN specialists, enabling female adolescents to naturally visit OB/GYN clinics, receive easy consultation, and obtain accurate information.

Mayor Yeom Tae-young stated, "Our country has not paid much attention to gynecological diseases among female teenagers, creating a blind spot even within obstetrics and gynecology," adding, "If a proper prevention and early detection system for female teenagers is established, it will have significant preventive effects in diagnosing and treating diseases that can occur during adolescence."