TOKYO -- Japanese pharmacies began selling emergency contraceptive pills without prescriptions this week, as part of a government-led trial that could see the nation join over 90 countries that offer over-the-counter access to the drug.
The trial marks a tentative step forward for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the only Group of Seven country still requiring prescriptions for the so-called morning-after pill, which the World Health Organization considers an essential medicine.
