title: Contraception in Japan: Current trends.
abstract: High proportion of Japanese uses condoms; lower proportion uses oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). We examined the longitudinal patterns for contraceptive usage in Japan and evaluated differences before and after OCP government approval.
  
  
  
  We accessed nationally representative survey data for women aged 16-49years from 1950 to 2014.
  
  
  
  Usage of condoms and OCP was 83.4% and 3.0%, respectively in 2014. OCP use before (1.21%) and after (1.97%) government approval did not differ significantly (p=.58).
  
  
  
  The prevalence of OCP usage remains low in Japan. A wide gap in use between Japan and other developed countries exists.
  
  
  
  Through a wide gap in OCP use between Japan and other countries, we revealed how choices of contraceptive methods and their benefits could be openly available for women of reproductive age, and how health care professionals disseminate appropriate knowledge about contraception for women in need.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion, National Institute of Public Health, 2-3-6 Minami, Wako, Saitama, 351-0197, Japan. Electronic address: hyoshida@niph.go.jp.
authors.forename: Honami
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Department of General Internal Medicine, St Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8560, Japan; Center for Clinical Epidemiology, St.Luke's International University, 10-1 Akashicho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0044, Japan. Electronic address: harukask1231@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Haruka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Epidemiology, St.Luke's International University, 10-1 Akashicho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0044, Japan. Electronic address: aleslie@doctors.org.uk.
authors.forename: Asuka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leslie
authors.affiliation: Department of General Internal Medicine, St Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8560, Japan; Center for Clinical Epidemiology, St.Luke's International University, 10-1 Akashicho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0044, Japan. Electronic address: otakahas@luke.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan. Electronic address: tsuboi@jichi.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
authors.affiliation: Japan Family Planning Association, Hoken Kaikan Shinkan Bldg., 1-10 Ichigaya Tamachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0843, Japan. Electronic address: kitamura@jfpa.or.jp.
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003267:Contraception / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D060728:Reproductive Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral
keywords: Contraceptive choices; Japan; Oral contraceptive pill (OCP); Reproductive health