Job Discussion Forums

becmaha · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 14

Hello all. I am new to the forum, and shameless, I suppose. I figure it is better to ask all of you this than my future employer. My boyfriend and I will be heading from the U.S. to Chiba in August to teach for a year, and we are wondering what to do about birth control. I'm not sure if I will be able to get 12 months worth of BC pills from home, b/c my doctor usually only allows three months at a time. Are pills available in Japan? Or would it be easier to rely on condoms? Are they easy to find and reasonably priced, or should we stock up before we go? Thanks for your help... Embarassed

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

The pill became available in Japan only about four years ago. As far as I know, it is still difficult to get prescriptions for it, so you'd better plan on bringing your own supply (explain the situation to your doctor in order to get more), or go with another type of contraception.

Condoms are available here, but many westerners complain of breakage and inadequate sizes.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Get a 12 month prescription from your doctor and explain why. They will give it to you or else go to another doctor. The hormone level will be much different than you are used to.

TexasFish · Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 4:49 am Post subject: The Pill

I know nothing about contraceptives in Japan, but the main reason that doctors won't give a year's worth of The Pill is becuase the most common version of it turns into a very deadly poison after a year. I would think that your doctor could write you a prescription with refills for a year's worth that could be filled in Japan. I am sure that there is an expat doctor somewhere in Japan that could help you out...but like I said I am just providing info about the pill and not about Japan. Have fun. Wink

TexasFish · Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 4:52 am Post subject: The Pill

I know nothing about contraceptives in Japan, but the main reason that doctors won't give a year's worth of The Pill is becuase the most common version of it turns into a very deadly poison after a year. I would think that your doctor could write you a prescription with refills for a year's worth that could be filled in Japan. I am sure that there is an expat doctor somewhere in Japan that could help you out...but like I said I am just providing info about the pill and not about Japan. Have fun. Wink

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Celeste · Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 10:29 am Post subject:

NO Texasfish, that is not correct. The reason that many doctors prefer to give women the pill 3 months at a time is so that they can monitor blood pressure and other side effects. This is especially true if the doctor has prescribed contraceptive pills for someone who is a smoker or has a history of high blood pressure. Also, some insurance companies will only cover 3 months worth of a prescription at a time (one extended health plan I was on in Canada was like that.)

I brought a 12 month supply of birth control pills with me when I came to Japan. (In the past I had often gotten my birth control pills 12 months at a time) When I ran out, I went to my doctor to try to get a comparable product, but the only pills available in Japan were a much higher doseage.

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

Texasfish; I don`t know where you get your info from, but I think it is well dodgy.....I just checked the wife`s pills and they are good until April 2006. I`ve also just checked the wife and she is def still breathing.......... She got a year`s supply, mail order, no problems from Oz before we came to Japan. She is Japanese by the way and she checked the price for the same strength of the same drug (called Trifeme in Oz; diff name here); 14 months` supply in Oz = ONE month`s supply in Japan (regarding cost)!! Email Glaxo or whoever and they will happily send you the names of the same drug under diff names in diff countries; that`s what we did Razz

easyasabc · Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Posts: 179 Location: Japan

There is nothing unsafe or poisonous about getting a year's supply of the pill. I get 12 months worth every time I go home to Australia.

In Australia a doctor usually doesn't prescribe a year's worth but if they know there are some special circumstances (like the fact that you are going away overseas ) they can write a special kind of prescriptin which does allow you to buy that many at one time. It may not be the same in Canada but maybe you should check anyway in case it is possible but you just didn't know about it.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Yes you can get a year's supply in Canada. My wife is also breathing, although faintly because she is almost asleep.

Charging paddles now.... clear..... Phew! Almost lost her.

becmaha · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 14

Thanks for the information! It has been very helpful!

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

When I was living in Japan, I explained to my doctor(planned parenthood) at Christmas time my situation. She gave me 18 months supply.

I saw an obgyn in Japan. I was already on the pill, but she had offered it to me anyhow. It was funny because she referred to my boyfried as my husband I guess as to not embarass me. But I didn't get it, and I just looked at her funny and said, "he's not my husband. he's my boyfriend"

foster · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 Location: Honkers, SARS

I had no trouble at all...went to my regular OBGYN in Regina, got a year prescription, went to Planned Parenthood, asked for all of it at once and they even gave it to me for nothing when I told them why I needed it and where I was going...and she gave a gazillion condoms as well...sadly, I still have all the condoms...never really needed to be on either during my tenure in Japan.

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

For what it's worth... My wife has had no problems getting birth control pills from the friendly, neighbourhood ob/gyn here in Japan. Maybe it's different for some but so far it seems the doctor's visits in Japan have been going smoothly...

But that's not to say you shouldn't stock up on the stuff before leaving. May be a good idea given the cost &c. Mind you, when we left Canada, we were on a private health care plan that covered prescriptions (Sunlife -- through our work -- as opposed to provincial health care) and they stipulated that we could not get more than a month at a time in order to get reimbursed for the prescription cost.... Even though the doctor gave us 1-year supplies of prescriptions.

Given that, I would say you could do it easily enough, just be prepared to lay out a lot of $$ for it up front.

Laura C · Joined: 14 Oct 2003 Posts: 211 Location: Saitama

Depends as well whether you are especially happy with/committed to whatever brand you use.

I had problems even at home getting the brand I wanted as it is more expensive -- the Family Planning Clinics said they didn't stock it. So when I found out my doctor could prescribe it, I asked him for a year's worth for Japan. I really didn't fancy trying to get it here.

I've been trying to fill another prescription since arriving here -- no luck and now I'm getting it sent from home every 2 months. I'd really recommend bringing your own supply -- you may not be in a big area, may have language problems, no time to see a doctor etc...and running out of your pill is not the same as running out of aspirin... Cool

L