A day after spending the night with her steady boyfriend, Mika roamed the area around her office in Tokyo, desperately looking for an obstetrician or gynecologist who could prescribe the medication she sought — an emergency contraceptive pill.
The 35-year-old woman, who asked that her last name not be used, had heard from a female friend that clinics could administer a pill that would prevent pregnancy even after intercourse.
"If you happen to have unprotected sex, don't worry and take the drug the next day," the friend had said.