I May Be Pregnant. What Should I Do?
If you are pregnant and it is one week after your regular period, you are in the fifth week of pregnancy. Pregnancy will make some changes in your body that may limit your work abilities and your amount of work time. An abortion is permitted only within 21 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy.
If you think that your period is late or that you may be pregnant, then take a pregnancy test or see an obstetrician and/or gynecologist as soon as possible. If it is within 72 hours of unprotected sex, you have the option of taking an emergency contraceptive pill.
If you think that your period is late or that you may be pregnant, then take a pregnancy test or see an obstetrician and/or gynecologist as soon as possible. If it is within 72 hours of unprotected sex, you have the option of taking an emergency contraceptive pill.
Pregnancy Test
You can easily check to see if you are pregnant with a simple pregnancy test (妊娠検査薬ninshin-kensayaku) that can be bought at most stores. You can use the pregnancy test one week after your regular period and after three weeks of having sex. Apply urine to the testing area and you will see the result in a few minutes. You can buy pregnancy tests at drug stores and also buy them on online sites such as Rakuten and Amazon. The cost is about 1000 yen for one test.
Obstetrics and Gynecology Examination
If you get a positive result from a pregnancy test, visit the obstetrics and gynecology clinic at a nearby hospital as soon as possible. These clinics will help confirm your pregnancy with an ultrasound or pelvic examination.
If the pregnancy is confirmed, an examination fee will not be covered by your insurance because it is not a health problem, and you will be responsible for the entire cost. The examination cost varies depending on the clinic. Usually, the first visit costs around 10,000 yen. If you have other health problems and require additional treatment at the time of your pregnancy test, you may be covered by your insurance. However, if you do not bring your health insurance card, you will be responsible for all expenses including treatment, so please make sure to bring your health insurance card with you for the examination.
If you think you are pregnant, don't keep it a secret but talk to someone that you trust. It could be your partner, family, friends, or a counselor. If you want to see an obstetrician and gynecologist but don't know where to go, or if you don’t want to go alone, please contact us. We are here to help you.
If the pregnancy is confirmed, an examination fee will not be covered by your insurance because it is not a health problem, and you will be responsible for the entire cost. The examination cost varies depending on the clinic. Usually, the first visit costs around 10,000 yen. If you have other health problems and require additional treatment at the time of your pregnancy test, you may be covered by your insurance. However, if you do not bring your health insurance card, you will be responsible for all expenses including treatment, so please make sure to bring your health insurance card with you for the examination.
If you think you are pregnant, don't keep it a secret but talk to someone that you trust. It could be your partner, family, friends, or a counselor. If you want to see an obstetrician and gynecologist but don't know where to go, or if you don’t want to go alone, please contact us. We are here to help you.
Emergency Contraception / Morning After Pill(EC)
Emergency contraception is an effective way to prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. You may want to use it, if you did not use any birth control, the condom broke, or you were forced to have unprotected vaginal sex. Taking one tablet will cause the endometrium to peel off after a few days, preventing the implantation of fertilized eggs.
It reduces the risk of pregnancy when started within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse. The earlier the tablet is consumed, the more effective, but we recommend that you consult your doctor even after 72 hours.
You will need to see an ob-gyn to get a prescription. If you can't go to the clinic, you can get a prescription through remote diagnosis.
Starting from November 28, 2023, emergency contraceptives are available as over-the-counter sales at pharmacies on a trial basis. You can buy them without a prescription. Since it's part of a research study, if you want to buy them, you will need to agree to participate and help with surveys. Currently, 145 pharmacies nationwide (including three in Kumamoto Prefecture) are selling them. Reservations by phone are required before going to a pharmacy. If you agree to take part in the research, you can check the list of pharmacies at "Emergency Contraceptive Trial Sales Information" (in Japanese).
This won’t be covered by health insurance, so you have to pay for it. The generic medicine, levonorgestrel costs at least 5,000 yen. The original drug Norrevo is about 15,000 to 20,000 yen.
It is dangerous to use some medicines sold at ethnic food stores because they may not be genuine, be expired, or be of poor quality.
If you become a victim of a sexual crime or violence, you may be subject to public expenditure if you report it to the police. In this case, the cost of emergency contraceptives will be supported. Talk to a one-stop support center for victims of sex crimes and violence.
List of Consultations Nationwide
https://www.gender.go.jp/policy/no_violence/seibouryoku/consult.html
Yourside Kumamoto
http://yourside-kumamoto.jp/
If a person living in Kumamoto becomes a victim, it is recommended to consult with Yourside. Emergency contraception may be public liability, even if you do not report the damage to the police.
It reduces the risk of pregnancy when started within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse. The earlier the tablet is consumed, the more effective, but we recommend that you consult your doctor even after 72 hours.
You will need to see an ob-gyn to get a prescription. If you can't go to the clinic, you can get a prescription through remote diagnosis.
Starting from November 28, 2023, emergency contraceptives are available as over-the-counter sales at pharmacies on a trial basis. You can buy them without a prescription. Since it's part of a research study, if you want to buy them, you will need to agree to participate and help with surveys. Currently, 145 pharmacies nationwide (including three in Kumamoto Prefecture) are selling them. Reservations by phone are required before going to a pharmacy. If you agree to take part in the research, you can check the list of pharmacies at "Emergency Contraceptive Trial Sales Information" (in Japanese).
This won’t be covered by health insurance, so you have to pay for it. The generic medicine, levonorgestrel costs at least 5,000 yen. The original drug Norrevo is about 15,000 to 20,000 yen.
It is dangerous to use some medicines sold at ethnic food stores because they may not be genuine, be expired, or be of poor quality.
If you become a victim of a sexual crime or violence, you may be subject to public expenditure if you report it to the police. In this case, the cost of emergency contraceptives will be supported. Talk to a one-stop support center for victims of sex crimes and violence.
List of Consultations Nationwide
https://www.gender.go.jp/policy/no_violence/seibouryoku/consult.html
Yourside Kumamoto
http://yourside-kumamoto.jp/
If a person living in Kumamoto becomes a victim, it is recommended to consult with Yourside. Emergency contraception may be public liability, even if you do not report the damage to the police.