Despite a substantial Nepalese community in Japan many Nepalese women face significant challenges in accessing essential sexual and reproductive health services (SRHSs) due to language barriers and differences in healthcare laws and services between Nepal and Japan. In Nepal, women have free access to a wide range of contraceptive and abortion services, while Japan places more restrictions on certain contraceptives and does not provide free abortion services. These limited options make women more reliant on their male partner to use contraceptives for birth control.
These challenges in accessing contraceptives, especially female-oriented contraceptives, lead them to acquire contraceptives from Nepal, increasing the risk of inappropriate use, unintended pregnancies, and other serious health complications. A recent study by a team of researchers led by Professor Masako Tanaka from the Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University, Japan, sheds light on the challenges faced by Nepalese migrants in accessing SRHSs in Japan. The research team included Dr.
Rachana Manandhar Shrestha from the Institute of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Studies at Sophia University and the Department of Community and Global Health at The University of Tokyo, Japan; Dr. Richa Shah from the Health Action and Research, Nepal; Dr. Divya Bhandari from the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard University, USA; and Dr.
Bijay Gyawali from the Amoha Center for Mental Health and Well-Being, .