tablet for her abortion is now available in Japan following approval given yesterday by the Ministry of Health.

Abortion has been legal in Japan since 1948 up to 22 weeks of gestation. the consent of a spouse or partner is usually required, and the surgical procedure has so far been the only option for terminating a pregnancy.. However, yesterday, in an official notice to the medical industry, the Ministry of Health announced that it had approved a pill produced by the British laboratory Linepharma.

The lab has applied for approval of the abortion pill starting in 2021. This is a treatment that combines two drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, taken one to two days later. This abortion method has been legal in many countries, including the United States since 2000 and France since 1988.

The approval of the pill in Japan for terminating pregnancies up to nine weeks follows a ministerial committee’s recommendation after lengthy deliberations.

This is reported by the state broadcaster NHK. the total cost of purchasing this pill and medical consulting services will be about 100,000 yen (669 euros).. Termination of pregnancy is not covered by health insurance.

Mifepristone has been at the center of a legal battle in the US. On April 21, the Supreme Court ruled that the abortion pill, also known as the “morning-after pill,” should be kept available for the time being.

Abortion rights advocates in Japan are campaigning to increase access to birth control pills.

So far, the pill should not be given without a doctor’s approval, and it is the only drug that must be taken in the presence of a pharmacist. Cause; To prevent it from being leaked to the black market.

Source: RES-IPE