Oral Contraceptives and Women's Health in Japan
- Aya Goto, MD, MPH;
- Michael R. Reich, PhD;
- Iain Aitken, MB, BChir, MPH
- Author Affiliations: Yamagata University School of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Yamagata City,Yamagata Prefecture, Japan (Dr Goto); and Harvard School of Public Health, Departments of Population and International Health (Drs Goto and Reich) and Maternal and Child Health (Dr Aitken), Boston, Mass.
Abstract
Japan approved the use of low-dose oral contraceptives (OCs) in June 1999, after more than 35 years of debate. The debate leaves a legacy of misinformation about and various sources of resistance to OCs. Benefits are expected to include greater control for women over their fertility and a reduction in the high rates of unplanned pregnancies and abortions. Successful implementation of the new policy will require a new emphasis on women's health, including the provision of accurate information about OCs and their associated adverse effects, a women-centered approach to gynecological practice, and the promotion of condoms as protection from sexually transmitted diseases, rather than as contraception alone.
