Abortion pills will become available in Japan, where women currently do not have access to medical abortion, following approval from Japan’s health ministry, AFP reported, according to News.ro.

Abortions have been legal in Japan since 1948 – until the 22nd week of pregnancy, but this requires the consent of the husband or partner, and currently the only way is surgical intervention.

Japan’s Ministry of Health announced on Friday in a message addressed to the sector that it has approved abortion pills from British laboratory Linepharma.

In December 2021, the laboratory applied in Japan for authorization of its abortion pill, a treatment that combines two drugs, namely mifepristone, also called RU 486, which stops the development of pregnancy by acting on the hormone progesterone, and misoprostol – which is taken every other day or two and causes contractions and bleeding.

This method is allowed in many countries, including the USA since 2000 and France since 1988.

The approval in Japan – to terminate a pregnancy before the ninth week – follows the conclusion of a Ministerial Committee after long discussions.

According to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, the total cost of the abortion pills and medical consultation is approximately ¥100,000 (€669).

Termination of pregnancy is not reimbursed by health insurance.

Mifepristone is currently at the center of a legal battle in the United States.

On April 21, the US Supreme Court decided to maintain access to abortion pills for the time being.

At the same time, activists in Japan are campaigning for better access to the morning-after pill, which prevents pregnancy.

Currently, it cannot be bought without a doctor’s approval, is not covered by health insurance, and is the only drug that must be taken in front of a pharmacist to avoid the black market.