Dr. Kunio Kitamura, Director, Japan Family Planning Association Clinic

Writing for the Asahi Shimbun Newspaper, Dr. Kitamura comments on the plans by Fukushima Prefecture to refer women considering abortions to foster parents, starting in April 2006. (See JOICFP eNEWS #31)

He says that foster-parent programs are an option for parents who have difficulties in raising their children, there is no guarantee that women who become pregnant can safely give birth, and it is questionable if foster parents will readily accept babies that do not meet their expectations.

He continues by saying that no woman gets pregnant or much less has sexual intercourse with the intention to abort, but it is unlikely that the problems facing women who wish to abort would be resolved if they give birth. Rather, the practice of pressuring women to give birth could promote the idea that abortion is a vice.

Dr. Kitamura questions whether schools, companies and local communities can provide proper support for the policy. According to a government survey, the number of abortions for women younger than 20 was 34,745 in fiscal 2004. Of them, 456 were abortions by girls who had not reached the age of 15.

When junior or senior high school students get pregnant and learn about the foster parent program, they may decide to continue their pregnancies. But if they do, can the local community and schools accept them warmly and support them?

Fukushima Prefecture's higher-than-average abortion rate is one of the reasons for starting the foster parent program. If so, the prefecture should give first consideration to preventing unwanted pregnancies.

Dr. Kitamura contrasts Japan with Britain, France and Canada that have a system in which oral contraceptive pills are provided to teenage girls as a way to prevent unwanted pregnancies. For the first three to four cycles, the pills are free, but in Japan young people face a burden to prevent unwanted pregnancy due to the high price of the pills.

The doctor recommends that instead of pressing women to give birth, the government should create a more flexible environment to support women who do not want to give birth and come up with reliable measures to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

He emphasizes that the decision of whether to give birth is an individual's choice and not a matter for the government to interfere in.

The full text of Dr. Kitamura's article can be found at http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200604180093.html