Japan approves abortion pill for the first time.

Công Luận•30/04/2023

Abortion is legal in Japan up to 22 weeks, but it usually requires the consent of the spouse or partner, and until now, surgery has been the only option.

Japan approves abortion pill for the first time (Figure 1) — Abortion pills will be sold in Japan for the first time. Photo: AFP

The Japanese Ministry of Health announced that it has approved a drug manufactured by the British pharmaceutical company Linepharma. The drugmaker submitted its product, a two-step treatment consisting of mifepristone and misoprostol, for approval in Japan in December 2021.

Similar drugs are available in many countries, including France, which first approved the abortion pill in 1988, and the United States, which has sold it since 2000. Approval of the abortion pill in Japan was delayed for a month due to a petition signed by thousands of people.

According to state broadcaster NHK, the total cost for abortion pills and medical counseling will be around 100,000 yen (approximately 18 million VND). Abortion is not covered by public health insurance. Meanwhile, surgical abortion can cost between 100,000 and 200,000 yen.

Activists in Japan are also pushing for better access to contraception. Emergency contraception is currently unavailable in Japan without a doctor's approval. It is also the only medication that must be taken in the presence of a pharmacist to prevent resale on the black market.

Trung Kien (according to AFP)

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