Regarding "emergency contraceptives" that prevent pregnancy by taking them within 72 hours after sexual activity, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will revise the package insert of the drug and delete the description of specific test methods such as "internal examination" when prescribing. I decided that.
"By saying that a specific test is required uniformly, we may miss the opportunity to take it."
It is said that emergency contraceptives can prevent pregnancy with a high probability if taken within 72 hours of sexual activity, and it is necessary to receive a prescription after seeing a doctor in Japan.
If you are already pregnant, you will not be eligible for the prescription, so the "package insert" that is the instruction manual for the medicine should include a "pelvic examination" to examine the inside of the body with a doctor's finger or equipment, and a urine test. Although it is stipulated to confirm the presence or absence of pregnancy, there have been calls from civil society groups to revise the package insert, saying that "urinalysis" is a heavy psychological burden on women.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare stated at an expert committee meeting held on the 24th that "there is a risk of missing a chance to take a specific test because a specific test is required uniformly", and described specific test methods such as "internal examination". I decided to remove it from the package insert.
In addition, the attached document states that if taken accidentally during pregnancy, virilization of the external genitalia of the female foetation and feminization of the male foetation may occur, but in overseas studies This description is also deleted because no abnormality was found in the fetus.
Regarding emergency contraceptives, there are calls for sales at pharmacies so that they can be taken without a doctor's prescription, and discussions are underway at a meeting of experts from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.