Hopes For Approval Of OCs In Japan Fade

Hopes for the Japanese approval of oral contraceptives have dimmed,after some members of a public health committee (PHC) involved in the review process said that they could discourage condom usage and lead to the spread of AIDS. The PHC does not have the power to approve or disapprove the pill, but was set up by the second of three committees required for approval, and only to determine the effects of such a move on the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. The second committee will not make any final decision until the PHC has come up with a report, the timetable for which is not clear.

Critics are now questioning the make-up of the PHC, reports Reuters, and note that none of its members are contraceptive specialists. They also feel that, after the scandal involving blood products tainted with HIV, the Health Ministry is overly-sensitive about AIDS. Worries about Japan's low birthrate and the desire for more conservative sexual ethics are also part of the backlash against approval of OCs.