OBGYN doctors advocating for choices to give and not to give birth in Japan

One of the ways that Japan is running behind other countries is maintaining an environment where women can feel secure during pregnancy, giving birth and having abortions. This issue is closely related to traditional stereotypes in Japan, and it causes a lack of understanding and appropriate systems. In this environment, the right to choose if pregnant women give birth or not can be threatened. Some doctors and organizations are currently trying to tackle these issues from various perspectives.

Issues facing an OBGYN doctor after the first confidential birth in Japan

The most publicized birth rights issues in Japan are isolated or anonymous births. In December of 2021, the first case of confidential birth occurred in Jikei hospital in Kumamoto Prefecture. Jikei hospital has been supporting women who want to give birth without revealing their identity and who are unable to raise their children alone.

The biggest issue of this case is birth registration. The mother of the baby has refused to reveal her identity to any others besides the doctor. Therefore, Jikei hospital planned to register the birth instead of her while keeping her identity confidential. However, leaving the mother’s information blank is at risk of being deemed illegal under the current Japanese law. The hospital is asking for a solution from the Legal Affairs Bureau of Kumamoto.

The concern has been, if it is deemed illegal, the baby will lack a family register. This would affect the baby’s daily life because unregistered people are a minority, and even some people working in public facilities don’t understand how to accommodate unregistered people. For instance, it becomes harder to get health insurance and participate in the pension system or even to attend school. In some cases, they are denied these public services. They can become registered through the necessary procedures, but the process is also demanding.

Over 40,000 people are hoping for approval of abortion pills to shift away from unsafe abortions in Japan

Some women choose not to give birth due to physical, mental and economic reasons. However, abortion can also be an enormous burden for them because the Japanese abortion system doesn’t reach the global standard. The mainstream method, unfortunately, is sharp curettage which the WHO defines as unsafe. Abortion pills, which are considered safe by the WHO, are not approved in Japan yet.

In December of 2021, an organization launched by voluntary OBGYN doctors, “Safe abortion Japan Project” submitted over 40,000 signatures asking for approval of pills for accessible abortion to the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare. A pharmaceutical company, Linefarma, also applied for approval of abortion pills right after the submission of signatures, however, it is still under consideration.

The Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that the cost of abortion pills should be about the same as other abortional surgery, which is around 100,000 yen. We must note that the pills are significantly less expensive in many other countries, costing free or a few hundred yen.

Understanding what women are facing leads the way to protecting women’s rights

Providing safe and accessible options for both giving birth and getting an abortion is necessary to protect women’s rights. Under the current circumstances in Japan, the first step is to look at these problems from different perspectives without traditional stereotypes. The more people understand these issues, the sooner the situation can be improved.