Tenrei Ōta
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Tenrei Ōta ( Japanese: ''Ōta Tenrei''), born Takeo Ōta (太田 武夫 ''Ōta Takeo'', 1900–1985) was a Japanese obstetrician-gynaecologist and politician. He invented the Ōta ring, an early
intrauterine device An intrauterine device (IUD), also known as an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD or ICD) or coil, is a small, often T-shaped birth control device that is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. IUDs are a form of long-acting rever ...
(IUD). Throughout his life, he was an outspoken advocate for
contraception Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...
,
abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...
, and
euthanasia Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different Legality of euthanasia, euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords Select committee (United Kingdom), se ...
. Some of his beliefs were rooted in
eugenics Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...
, and during his time as a member of Japan's
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
, he drafted and co-sponsored the Eugenic Protection Law.


Early life and education

Takeo Ōta was born in 1900 to a physician's family in the Migochi village of the
Kyoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Kyoto Prefecture has a population of 2,561,358 () and has a geographic area of . Kyoto Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the northeast, Shiga Prefecture ...
in Japan. In 1925, he earned his doctorate from
Kyushu University , abbreviated to , is a public research university located in Fukuoka, Japan, on the island of Kyushu. Founded in 1911 as the fourth Imperial University in Japan, it has been recognised as a leading institution of higher education and resear ...
. He then specialised in
gynaecology Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences) is the area of medicine concerned with conditions affecting the female reproductive system. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, which focuses on pre ...
at
Kyoto University , or , is a National university, national research university in Kyoto, Japan. Founded in 1897, it is one of the former Imperial Universities and the second oldest university in Japan. The university has ten undergraduate faculties, eighteen gra ...
. He studied human cancer cells to obtain his Ph.D. from Kyoto University, but was denied his degree in 1934 due to his "leftist inclinations". After Japan was defeated in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, he was awarded the degree.


Career

Ōta began studying contraceptive methods in 1927. Few of his fellow scientists and doctors were interested in the topic, deeming it indecent. He began by studying existing methods, focusing both on barrier contraceptives such as
sponges Sponges or sea sponges are primarily marine invertebrates of the animal phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), a basal clade and a sister taxon of the diploblasts. They are sessile filter feeders that are bound to the seabed, and ar ...
and stem pessaries as well as on early attempts at intrauterine devices to prevent implantation of a fertilised egg. Concerned that contraceptive methods promoted by
Margaret Sanger Margaret Sanger ( Higgins; September 14, 1879September 6, 1966) was an American birth control activist, sex educator, writer, and nurse. She opened the first birth control clinic in the United States, founded Planned Parenthood, and was instr ...
during a visit to Japan in 1922 were "unreliable" and "unscientific", he began working his own device. In 1931, he learned about Gräfenberg's ring, an early IUD design introduced by Ernst Gräfenberg in 1929, in which a flexible silk ring was wrapped with silver wire. In 1932 or 1933, Ōta invented a modified version, which he tested on relatives and acquaintances. He originally called it the "Precea ring", using an English-Japanese term meaning "pressure", but it later became known as the "Ōta ring". In his early designs, he combined Gräfenberg's ring design with previous experiments where
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
balls were placed in the
uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', : uteri or uteruses) or womb () is the hollow organ, organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans, that accommodates the embryonic development, embryonic and prenatal development, f ...
. The experiments he was building upon tended to be short-lived as the balls were expelled from the uterus, and the addition of the ring was intended to improve retention. First he tried combining multiple gold balls with the ring-shaped device, which he modified by adding spokes that joined in the middle. Later, he modified his design to use one central gold disc, which was attached by spokes to the outer ring. His early versions were made from silver or gold. He also experimented with a plastic version, possibly making him the first to invent a plastic IUD, but he only had access to poor-quality plastics that he ultimately determined were unsuitable. Ōta was an active participant in the Japanese birth control movement during that time period, supporting access to contraceptives and advocating for his design. However, political shifts in the country, including Japan's later alliance with the
Axis powers The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...
, contributed to hostility towards contraceptives and those advocating for them, particularly amid the rise in pronatalist beliefs that Japan needed to increase its population to strengthen its military power. In 1930, limits and bans were placed on the sale of "harmful contraceptives", which would include the Ōta ring, and in 1937, the publication of written material on birth control was prohibited. Around the time of the
Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...
, the government officially adopted stricter population planning policies, using the slogan ''ume yo fuyase yo'' (), and banned artificial contraception methods and abortion in 1941. Amid this shift, Ōta became a political target due to his promotion of birth control and ties to other socialist activists, and he was arrested twice and forced to stop his birth control–related activities. Ōta changed his name from Takeo to Tenrei to try to avoid further arrests, and later went into hiding. After World War II ended, Ōta returned to his advocacy and work on the Ōta ring. He opened a birth control clinic as early as November 1945. Due to postwar rationing of silver and gold, he began trialing synthetic materials for his Ōta ring including
nylon Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterised by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or Polyamide#Classification, semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieti ...
, vinyl,
polyethylene Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging (plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including bott ...
, and combinations thereof. He also added notches to the exterior ring of his design in 1945, intending to reduce expulsion. However, he later determined that that model tended to become too firmly lodged in the uterus, making it difficult or impossible to remove. His final version of the Ōta ring was made from a ring of nylon-wrapped polyethylene, with a central polyethylene sphere attached by threads. Sometime after 1948, Ōta submitted his design to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, but it was rejected over concerns that inserting a foreign device into the uterus could carry health risks that outweighed the benefits. Although the device enjoyed support from some practising clinicians and more individualist doctors, the more establishment doctors with more political influence were fearful of contraceptive devices that might not be 100% safe. However, Ōta and other doctors were permitted to conduct clinical trials. Ōta appealed the decision to reject his design, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare established a Special Committee on Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices in September 1953. However, neither Ōta nor any of the doctors who supported the ring were included in the consultation, despite the inclusion of several who opposed it. The Committee upheld the rejection, and further limited use of the device outside of clinical trials. In the 1960s, the government's stance on IUDs shifted, owing in part to the global proliferation of such devices, more knowledge about IUDs among the public, and increased clinical research. Simultaneously, Ōta's work began to be known outside of Japan. Astumi Ishihama, a Japanese doctor who had performed clinical trials with the Ōta ring, published a highly positive English-language article about the ring in the ''Yokohama Medical Journal''. In 1962, Ishihama was invited to present at the First International Conference on the IUD held in New York. He introduced the Ōta ring to more people outside of Japan, including the Population Council's Alan Frank Guttmacher. In turn, at the International Family Planning Conference held in Chile in 1967, Guttmacher presented the Ōta ring to a public audience, describing Ōta as the "father of the IUD". Japan's Ministry of Health and Welfare approved the Ōta ring and the Yusei ring, developed by a former colleague of Ōta's, as medical contraceptives in 1974.


Political career

Ōta was a socialist and outspoken advocate for birth control, abortion access, and euthanasia. He held eugenicist beliefs, which influenced his advocacy and beliefs. In 1945, Ōta created the Sanji Seigen Domei ( or Birth Control Alliance), which was one of the numerous small birth control advocacy groups established during that period. These groups remained fairly separate until 1954, when they joined together as the Family Planning Federation of Japan. Ōta, a member of the Japan Socialist Party, was elected as a representative in Kyoto's 2nd district in 1947. He and two fellow socialists and birth control activists, Shidzue Katō and , introduced the to the House of Representatives in December 1947. Ōta had been the one to choose the name, and coauthored the original version. The law's stated goal was "to protect maternal health and life, and to prevent the birth of inferior offspring, thus contributing to the construction of a cultured nation" by legalising abortion and contraception, and strengthening eugenic policies. The bill would have authorised
voluntary Voluntary may refer to: * Voluntary (music) * Voluntary or volunteer, person participating via volunteering/volunteerism * Voluntary muscle contraction See also * Voluntary action * Voluntariness, in law and philosophy * Voluntaryism Volunt ...
and involuntary sterilisations, permitted doctors to counsel patients regarding contraception, and broadly legalised abortions. The bill stalled, and Ōta suggested that the
Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers The Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (), or SCAP, was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the United States-led Allied occupation of Japan following World War II. It issued SCAP Directives (alias SCAPIN, SCAP Index Number) ...
had been hesitant to accept a law seemingly aimed at tackling two separate topics: birth control and eugenics. However, Ōta and his colleagues argued that both items were designed to improve the "quality of the nation". In June 1948, the bill was reintroduced and passed into law after the socialists revised it with the aid and cosponsorship of ob-gyn and
Councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or re ...
. The revised bill aimed "to prevent the birth of eugenically inferior offspring, and to protect maternal health and life", and it authorised both voluntary and involuntary sterilisations, and abortions in more limited circumstances. Contraception access was not included in the revised version. Despite the changes to his original version of the law, Ōta was highly supportive, and considered it "unprecedented" and "extremely progressive". Although eugenics began to develop a negative reputation in the 1960s and 1970s, Ōta never distanced himself from the law. Even after attitudes began to change, in 1967 Ōta published writings outlining "an ideal plan" where he suggested dividing the population into three categories (A, B, and C), where men in category A would be allowed to procreate with women in categories A or B, and all others would be sterilised to improve society.


Euthanasia advocacy

In the 1960s, Ōta became a strong advocate for legalising euthanasia. In 1963 he suggested that a euthanasia society should be established, and in 1976 he founded the Japan Euthanasia Society (''Nihon anrakushi kyōkai''), which later became the Japan Society for Dying with Dignity (''Nihon songenshi kyōkai''). That same year, he organised a global conference for right-to-die societies in Tokyo, where the World Federation of Right to Die Societies was established. Ōta is credited with introducing the concept of
advance healthcare directive An advance healthcare directive, also known as living will, personal directive, advance directive, medical directive or advance decision, is a document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no longe ...
s to Japan. Ōta's proposals generally involved passive euthanasia by withdrawing end-of-life medical care and administering pain relief. He suggested that providing medical care to extend the lives of those who were terminally ill and had expressed a wish to die was in "violation of human dignity". Ōta's euthanasia advocacy has been criticised by disability rights advocates. Ōta advocated for euthanasia not only in cases where the individual wished to die, but also in the cases of people deemed to be "burdensome" on society. In one of his writings, Ōta suggested, "would it not be ideal if there were fewer isabled or elderly people"


See also

* Abortion in Japan * Birth control in Japan * Shidzue Katō – Japanese politician and birth control advocate


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ota, Tenrei 1900 births 1985 deaths 20th-century Japanese physicians 20th-century Japanese politicians 20th-century Japanese scientists Euthanasia activists Japan Socialist Party politicians Japanese abortion-rights activists Japanese birth control activists Japanese eugenicists Japanese inventors Japanese left-wing activists Japanese obstetricians Kyoto University alumni Kyushu University alumni Members of the House of Representatives (Japan) Politicians from Kyoto Prefecture Activists from Kyoto Prefecture