Response: Japan foresees early‐stage medical abortion approval: Will this reduce barriers to access safe abortion?

Abstract

In their correspondence, 1 Terauchi et al. point out the diversity of environment surrounding abortion. However, it needs to be noted that unsafe abortion is a major cause of maternal mortality worldwide, causing 14 000-39 000 deaths every year. 2,3 Criminalizing or restricting access to abortion is not proven to be effective in decreasing abortion, but endangers women's lives by exposing them to dangerous methods. 2 Securing access to safe abortion is imperative to avoid this preventable mortality and morbidity; indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers abortion care to be essential health care. 2 In Japan, although abortion is legal, the expense and spouse consent requirement still hinder access to safe abortion. As a result, stories of women delivering babies alone and abandoning them continue to be reported. [4][5][6] Some people use imported abortion pills with unknown quality control, without seeking healthcare assistance. 7