2023-11-28 11:36:12
Updated
AsiaJapan is experimenting with over-the-counter morning-after pills
Emergency contraceptives were only available in Japan with a prescription. From Tuesday, it will be possible to buy them directly in pharmacies.
Japan began on Tuesday on an experimental basis the over-the-counter sale of morning-after contraceptive pills usually subject to a medical prescription in the country, a small step that human rights defenders however consider too limited.
As part of this pilot project, the emergency contraceptive pill, which can prevent pregnancy within 72 hours of sexual intercourse but whose effectiveness diminishes over time, is available in 145 pharmacies across the country, according to the Japanese Pharmaceutical Association (JPA).
Human rights groups have long criticized the fact that emergency contraceptives are only available in Japan upon presentation of a prescription, obtained only by going to a doctor. According to activists, this can discourage many women, particularly rape victims or teenage girls, from trying to obtain the morning-after pill, including for practical reasons, with many practices being closed in the evenings and weekends.
Until the end of March
As part of this Japanese experiment, which should last until the end of March, women wishing to obtain this means of contraception, sold between 7,000 and 9,000 yen (41 to 53 francs), will have to present an identity document and ingest the medication in front of a pharmacist, specifies the JPA website. The minimum age is set at 16 and those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, according to the same source.
Activists of a citizen project aimed at making emergency contraceptives available in pharmacies, however, judged that the trial was carried out on too small a scale and declared that they had asked the government to expand it. According to them, the number of pharmacies affected by this trial represents barely more than 0.2% of establishments in the country, or 145 out of 60,000.
This experiment was decided following a survey by the Japanese Ministry of Health this year, during which 97% of the 46,000 people questioned were in favor of this measure.
The morning-after pill is available over the counter in some 90 countries around the world, according to the ministry. The World Health Organization believes, on its website, that emergency contraception “should be systematically included in all national family planning programs.”
(AFP)
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