The Minister of Health François Braun announced, Tuesday, September 20, the free morning after pill for all women in France, from 2023. A measure which places France among the countries cited as an example, in particular in Japan.
In this country, we are not yet debating free access, but already accessibility because in this area it is considerably behind.
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To sum up, women who need a morning after pill must imperatively go through a consultation, state their identity, obtain a pill from the doctor. For underage teenagers, the process is not easy and this situation leads to very problematic unwanted pregnancies. In addition, everything is at their expense – usually around a hundred euros.
But that’s not all. While some clinics are more flexible and accept online consultations and then send the pill by courier, others require it to be taken directly during the consultation to prevent it from being resold. The morning after pill is not available in pharmacies, which is a huge problem, especially in rural areas which are increasingly also medical deserts.
Since 2017, a commission has been studying the availability of the morning after pill in pharmacies. Women like Sakiko Enmi, gynecologist, denounce this situation: “Even if a woman knows the morning after pill exists, it doesn’t make sense if she doesn’t have easy access to it. Making it available in pharmacies is an absolutely necessary option.”
There is strong opposition from part of the medical profession – often men. First argument, easier access to this emergency contraception will relieve couples of responsibility, reduce the use of condoms and amplify the risks of disease transmission through sexual relations. Great confidence therefore in the ability of citizens to pay attention. Then, if the morning after pill is obtained from a pharmacist without supervision, it risks being trafficked for resale to people who want to obtain it without disclosing their identity. Finally, the adverse effects of the product will not be monitored by a doctor.
Associations are mobilizing to denounce these arguments, explaining that elsewhere this does not pose a problem. The announcement of generalized free access in France was also welcomed on Japanese social networks, because, for women, it is additional proof to be put forward in Japan.