Abortion in Japan

Memorandums and information about abortion situations and problems in Japan

Message from an expert: On approval of Mefeego Pack

Here is an excerpt from the monthly message on May 7 from Tomoko Saotome MD., PhD., the president of the Professional Women's Coalition for Sexuality and Health in Japan.

On April 28, the Japanese government finally approved the oral abortion drug Mefeego Pack for production and marketing in Japan. The drug is a combination pack of the anti-progesterone mifepristone, which interrupts pregnancy, and misoprostol, which causes the uterus to contract after 36 to 48 hours.



Although the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare only emphasize concerns about side effects, the drug has a long history of use in France and China since 1988 and soon became available in other countries. In Japan, as per clinical trials, the drug is prescribed only during hospitalization and can only be prescribed by doctors designated under the Maternal Body Protection Law who have completed training by the pharmaceutical company Linepharma.



The Maternal Body Protection Law continues to be a barrier for women to access medical abortion, requiring hospitalization and the partner's consent to take the medication. Clinics that do not have inpatient beds will continue to perform surgical procedures because they cannot prescribe for the time being. Even if users find a medical facility where they can obtain oral medications and reach a doctor who can use the drug, it is shocking to face the fact that they have no choice but to be hospitalized.



Confusion will be inevitable for the foreseeable future. Training in the attitude of medical professionals toward medical abortion is also needed. There is a movement to develop a program in our colision based on programs in other countries.

Original in Japanese, translated by Kumi Tsukahara