Japan Approves Abortion Pill for the First Time

Facts

• On Friday, Japan's health ministry approved the country's first abortion pill to terminate early-stage pregnancies amid calls for progress in women's reproductive rights.¹
• Women across the country can now access Mefeego, a two-step treatment of mifepristone and misoprostol that can terminate a pregnancy up to nine weeks of gestation.²
• In clinical trials, 93% of participants had a complete abortion within 24 hours. While about 60% reported experiencing symptoms such as abdominal pain, most cases were described as mild or moderate.³
• Though abortion is legal in Japan for up to 22 weeks, surgery is currently the only approved option, and requires written spousal consent, as well as a doctor's approval.⁴
• The abortion pill, which will not be covered by national health insurance, would reportedly cost around ¥100K (approx $733), along with a medical consultation. Surgical abortions usually cost between ¥100K ($733) and ¥200K ($1467).⁵
• The World Health Organisation designates Mefeego as an essential drug for abortion and promotes it as a safe alternative to surgical procedures.⁶

Sources: ¹The japan times, ²Japan today, ³Nhk, ⁴South china morning post, ⁵Guardian and ⁶Independent.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by BBC News. The approval of the abortion pill gives women an alternative to end a pregnancy; however, women are still denied the right to make decisions about their bodies since they can only receive an abortion if the pregnancy significantly damages their physical and financial health or if they become pregnant due to rape. Moreover, pricing and consent rules cast a shadow over the decision and limit access to safe abortion.
• Narrative B, as provided by The japan times. While the prevalence of a few hindrances cannot be denied, and even if it reflects Japanese society's deeply embedded patriarchal norms, the move is a cause for celebration as it makes painless and safe abortion more accessible to thousands of Japanese women.
• Narrative C, as provided by Japan today. The decision comes when the country faces one of the world’s major demographic crises, with annual births dipping below 800K for the first time in 2022. If you make it easier for women to have abortions, the number of women choosing to end their pregnancy will naturally increase — further perpetuating population decline.