Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology

News from Japan

Low-dose Birth Control Pills in Japan

On September 2, 1999, low-dose oral contraceptives, known as `the pill', appeared in pharmacies and clinics for the first time in Japan. It took almost 9 years for these drugs to be approved for sale by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. With a doctor's prescription, women can get 11 types of contraceptive pills made by 10 pharmaceutical companies, although purchase is not covered by health insurance. Pills with high and medium dosages have long been approved for treatment of menstrual disorders and an estimated 200,000 women in Japan have been using them for contraceptive purposes. Approval of the low-dose pill, whose purpose is exclusively birth control, and which is now commonly used in many countries, was delayed in Japan because of concerns over the pill's side effects and spread of AIDS. . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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