Could American women use mifepristone-misoprostol pills safely with less medical supervision?

Medical methods of early abortion differ from surgical methods in that women themselves can potentially administer the regimens. As currently researched and offered, however, the main regimen used for medical abortion, mifepristone-misoprostol, is highly medicalized, involving several clinic visits and extensive physician involvement. We re-examined the role of clinical supervision in each step of the abortion process, using data collected during a large clinical trial of mifepristone-misoprostol abortions in the US, fielded during 1994-1995. The trial was carried out in 17 geographically diverse centers, including private, public, and nongovernmental organization clinics, and enrolled 2121 women, aged 18-45 years, seeking early abortion (< or =63 days since last menstrual period). Women received 600 mg oral mifepristone, followed 48 h later by 400 microg oral misoprostol. Evidence suggests that most women can handle most steps of the medical abortion process themselves, effectively and safely. The utility of clinic visits to ingest mifepristone and misoprostol is questionable. For many women, even the follow-up visit could perhaps be replaced by telephone follow-up, combined with home pregnancy tests. Alternatives to the present protocol might allow greater control, comfort, and convenience at lower cost. Where clinician involvement might be useful, mid-level health care providers typically possess the skills necessary to offer the method safely, implying that physicians might be necessary only as complications arise. Future research useful for determining the optimal amount of medical involvement to provide mifepristone-misoprostol safely and effectively should include self-screening tests, label comprehension tests, calendars to aid in calculating gestational age, and the development of special pregnancy tests with telephone follow-up.     

Cutting unsafe abortions

The use of drugs to terminate pregnancy could cut the number of unsafe abortions, according to the Wellcome Trust and the Population Council. A specialist conference in January this year concluded that the technique is safe and effective and would be particularly valuable in resource-poor countries. In an article in the journal Science staff of the two organizations outline the research that will be necessary before medical abortion can be made widely available in the developing world. It is estimated that half of all surgical abortions are conducted in unsafe conditions. Drug-induced (medical) abortion has been available in developed countries for over 10 years, usually involving the use of the drug mifepristone. A cheaper drug, misoprostol, is already in use in some developing countries. Meanwhile, WHO has published a booklet on "emergency contraception." The term refers to contraceptive methods that can be used by women in the first few days following unprotected intercourse to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. This would not be considered as abortion by most authorities. The emergency methods available are: increased doses of combined oral contraceptive pills, high doses of progestogen-only pills, or inserting of copper releasing IUDs.     

Social desirability bias in family planning studies: a neglected problem

Studies on family planning methods traditionally have relied on self-reports of unknown validity and reproducibility. Social desirability bias, a type of information bias, occurs when study participants respond inaccurately — but in ways that will be viewed favorably by others. Several lines of evidence reveal that this bias can be powerful in sexual matters, including reports of coitus, use of contraceptives and induced abortion. For example, studies using vaginal prostate-specific antigen testing reveal underreporting of unprotected coitus and overreporting of barrier contraceptive use. Medication Event Monitoring System studies, which electronically record the time of pill dispensing from a bottle or pack, indicate widespread exaggeration of adherence to pill-taking regimens, including oral contraceptives. Comparisons of provider data and self-reports of induced abortions reveal extensive underreporting of induced abortion. Reliance on self-reported data underestimates contraceptive efficacy. Although techniques to minimize this bias exist, they are infrequently used in family planning studies. Greater skepticism about self-reports and more objective means of documenting coitus and contraceptive use are needed if contraceptive efficacy is to be accurately measured.     

Rates of induced abortion in Iran: the roles of contraceptive use and religiosity

Iran has experienced a dramatic decline in fertility in recent decades, but limited access to legal abortion continues to lead many women whose pregnancies are unwanted or mistimed to undergo clandestine, unsafe abortions. No official data on the abortion rate in Iran have been collected, however. This study uses the 2000 Iran Demographic and Health Survey to estimate the abortion rate for the country as a whole and for specific regions, and to explore the role of contraceptive use and religiosity in explaining regional variations in abortion rates. We estimate the total abortion rate for the country to be 0.26 abortions per married woman, and the annual general abortion rate to be 7.5 abortions per 1,000 married women aged 15-49. We find that the negative effect of modern contraceptive use on the abortion rate is 51 percent greater than the negative effect of religiosity, and we highlight the implications of these findings for policies on reproductive health and family     

Observation: contraceptive method use following an abortion

Researchers comparing 1st and repeat abortion patients directly, have found that the latter were using methods that are only slightly or no more effective than those used by 1st-abortion patients at the time they became pregnant. It is here argued that such direct comparisons are not appropriate because repeat patients are not typical of all women who have ever had an abortion. Most women who use effective methods consistently after a 1st abortion, will never appear in the repeat abortion statistics. Therefore, in terms of contraceptive use, repeat abortion patients overrepresent women who use no method or the least effective method. This point is illustrated using 1981-82 data collected by the Minnesota Department of Health on virtually all the state's residents obtaining abortions in the state during a 2-year period. A total of 22,070 women obtained 1st abortions and 8734 women repeat abortions. The data is collected by method used and shows the monthly contraceptive failure rate per woman, the number of users per failure, the estimated % distribution of women at risk of a 1st abortion, the acutal distribution of those obtaining a 1st abortion, and the estimated distribution of women at risk of a repeat abortion. Comparisons of these statistics show that of the women exposed to the risk of abortion, those acutally obtaining one are disproportionately using no cotraceptives (70%) or the least effective method. The pill and sterilization were the methods used most commonly by the group exposed to the risk of a repeat abortion. By contrast, at the time of the 1st abortion, only 5% of women had been using the pill and less than 1% had depended on sterilization. Only 9% of women at risk of a repeat abortion used no method, compared with 70% before the 1st abortion. Thus although women who have an abortion tend to be relatively poor contraceptive users, after the abortion, they use methods at least as effective as those used by women at risk of a 1st abortion. The data suggest a marked improvement in contraceptive practice subsequent to a 1st abortion. While a number of factors may contribute to this improvement, it is probable that the abortion experience and the contraceptive services offered at the time of the abortion play an important role in improving contraceptive practice.     

The potential role of contraception in reducing abortion

This study examines the potential role of further increases in contraceptive prevalence and effectiveness in reducing abortion rates. The model used in this analysis links the abortion rate to its direct determinants, including couples' reproductive preferences, the prevalence and effectiveness of contraceptive practice to implement these preferences, and the probability of undergoing an abortion to avoid an unintended birth when a contraceptive fails or is not used. An assessment of the tradeoff between contraception and abortion yields estimates of the decline in the total abortion rate that would result from an illustrative increase of 10 percentage points in prevalence. This effect varies among societies, primarily because the tendency to obtain an abortion after an unintended pregnancy varies. For example, in a population with an abortion probability of 0.5, a 10 percentage-point increase in prevalence would avert approximately 0.45 abortions per woman, assuming contraception is 95 percent effective. If all unintended pregnancies were aborted, this effect would be three times larger. Eliminating all unintended pregnancies and subsequent abortions would require a rise in contraceptive prevalence to the level at which all fecund women who do not wish to become pregnant practice contraception that is 100 percent effective. A procedure is provided for estimating this "perfect" level of contraceptive prevalence.     

Are partners available for post-abortion contraceptive counseling? A pilot study in a Baltimore City clinic

About half of the 1.2 million abortions each year in the United States are repeat abortions. While most abortion providers counsel women about contraception, one reason for the high repeat rate could be failure to take into account the social context of the women--in particular, the male partner. To assess whether there might be a window of opportunity for a contraceptive intervention that includes the male partner at the time of the abortion, we undertook a pilot study at an urban abortion clinic to examine the role of the male partner among women receiving abortions. Between May 2001 and August 2002, two questionnaires were administered to 109 women receiving abortions in a Baltimore City clinic. On the procedure day, women were more likely to be accompanied by a male partner upon arrival (30%) or when leaving (34%) than by any other individual. The majority of women receiving abortions reported that their partners played positive decision-making and support roles throughout the abortion process. A significant proportion of couples could be available for contraceptive counseling following an abortion, providing rationale for couples' post-abortion contraceptive counseling for women whose partners are already actively and positively involved in the abortion process. Such an intervention may help to reduce repeat abortions.     

The logistics of abortion services in the absence of restrictive criminal legislation in the United States.

In anticipation of the expected rise in demand for induced abortion (estimated to reach 500 abortions per 1000 live births within 5 to 10 years) planning should be for provision of public education, patient counseling, safe surgical care, and contraceptive counseling and services. Planning should include the establishment of health department standards with investigation of abortion complications, guidelines for individual selection of abortion procedures for each woman, and supervision of personnel. The possibility of technical training of non-professional personnel to assist in abortion, research in abortion technology, funds for the care of indigent women, and examination of the attitudes of health professionals are other topics discussed.     

Abortion practice in Mexico: a survey of health care providers

BackgroundLittle is known about abortion practice in Mexico postlegalization of abortion in Mexico City in 2007.Study DesignIn 2009, we anonymously surveyed 418 Mexican health care providers at the Colegio Mexicano de Especialistas en Ginecologia y Obstetricia meeting using audio computer-assisted self-interview technology.ResultsThe majority of respondents were obstetrician gynecologists (376, 90%), Catholic (341, 82%), 35–60 years old (332, 79%) and male (222, 53%) and worked with trainees (307, 74%). Prior to 2007, 11% (46) and 17% (71) provided medical and surgical abortions; now, 15% (62) and 21% (86) provide these services, respectively. Practitioners from Mexico City were more likely to provide services than those from other areas. Most medical abortion providers (50, 81%) used ineffective protocols. Surgical abortion providers mainly used either manual vacuum aspiration (39, 45%) or sharp curettage (27, 32%). Most abortion providers were trained in residency and wanted more training in medical (54, 87%) and surgical (59, 69%) abortion. Among nonproviders, 49% (175) and 27% (89) expressed interest in learning to perform medical and surgical abortion, respectively.ConclusionGiven the interest in learning to provide safe abortion services and the prevalent use of ineffective medical abortion regimens and sharp curettage, abortion training in Mexico should be strengthened.     

Exploring the physician's role in contraceptive counseling at the time of abortion in the US

ObjectiveWe explored how physicians conceptualize their role in contraceptive counseling at the time of abortion, including identifying clinician attitudes that may lead to patients’ perceptions of contraceptive coercion.Study designWe conducted individual semi-structured interviews using questions based on components of the Theory of Planned Behavior. We recruited physician abortion providers using purposeful sampling to attain diversity in practice setting and geographic practice region. We analyzed transcribed interviews using initial and values coding methods.ResultsWe interviewed 39 participants across the United States, who primarily self-reported as White female obstetrician gynecologists (OB/GYNs) aged 25 to 44. Over half of participants practiced in an academic setting. Participants perceived providing patient education and taking a patient-centered approach as part of their role in contraceptive counseling. Participants also believed it was their responsibility to prevent unintended pregnancies and subsequent abortions among their patients. External motivations behind this belief included wanting patients to avoid the challenges of obtaining another abortion, particularly in states with multiple abortion restrictions. Internal motivations included valuing professional goal attainment, discomfort with abortion, and abortion stigma. When physicians counseled about contraception, many expressed preferences toward methods of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) and an emphasis on contraception provision for adolescents and women with prior abortions.ConclusionsPhysicians providing abortions strive to use a patient-centered approach to contraceptive counseling. However, many continue to be motivated by the goal of avoiding a subsequent abortion which patients may perceive as coercion towards contraceptive uptake.ImplicationsConsidering contraceptive counseling as a means to prevent subsequent abortion may lead to coercive practices, especially with specific patient populations. Moral codes and abortion stigma influence physicians’ counseling practices and physicians must examine their personal values and motivations behind recommending contraception after an abortion.     

The role of changes in contraceptive use in the decline of induced abortion in Turkey

The induced abortion rate in Turkey declined from a peak of 4.5 abortions per 100 women in 1988 to 2.4 in 1998. This study examines the extent to which the decline in abortion in Turkey can be attributed to increased use of modern contraceptives. Trends in induced abortion rates and in contraceptive use are examined among Turkish women together with fertility preferences, changes in the contraceptive behavior associated with abortion, and changes in the propensity to abort unwanted pregnancies. The analysis includes a number of simulations that examine what abortion levels might be in different contraceptive-use scenarios. Results indicate that the decline in abortion is due to a decrease in the number of abortions associated with traditional method failure. This decrease is related to three factors: a shift from traditional method use to modern method use, a decline in the traditional method failure rate, and a decline in the proportion of pregnancies resulting from traditional method failures that are aborted.     

Contraception and induced abortion in Armenia: a critical need for family planning programs in eastern Europe.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the number of induced abortions per woman and the reasons for selecting induced abortion among parous Armenian women. METHODS: A consecutive series of 200 women attending an abortion clinic in Yerevan, Armenia, were queried by a physician about their reproductive histories. RESULTS: Women younger than 20 years of age reported a median of 1 and women older than 40 years reported a median of 8 induced abortions in their lifetimes (overall median = 3). Lack of contraceptive information was the major reason cited for not using contraception. CONCLUSIONS: Induced abortion is the major form of birth control among parous Armenian women. Concerted public health campaigns are needed to inform women and their physicians in Armenia and other Eastern European countries about alternative contraceptive methods.     

Emergency contraception and prevention of induced abortion in India

OBJECTIVE: Induced abortion is associated with high morbidity and mortality in India. Use of regular contraception with emergency contraception (EC) as backup can reduce the incidence of induced abortion. The study aimed to assess women's knowledge, practice, preference and acceptance of different contraceptive methods with special reference to the causes of induced abortion, and their willingness to use hormonal EC. METHODS: The study comprised a structured questionnaire survey conducted in the family planning clinic of a tertiary teaching hospital in New Delhi, India. A total of 623 women and three men seeking contraceptive advice and/or termination of pregnancy were interviewed. The main outcome measures were knowledge of different contraceptive methods including EC and the reasons for unintended pregnancy. RESULTS: More than 99% of the respondents knew about most of the modern methods of contraception whereas only 37 (5.9%; 95% CI 4.0-7.8) of the respondents knew about EC and none of them had ever used it. Contraceptive method failure led to unintended pregnancy in 39.1% (95% CI 33.7-44.5) of abortion seekers. Correct use of EC could have prevented nearly 65.5% (95% CI 57.0-74.0) of induced abortions due to contraceptive method failure and 25.6% (95% CI 20.7-30.5) of all induced abortions. CONCLUSIONS: More efforts are required to generate awareness about the safety, efficacy and availability of EC, regular use of effective contraception and the health hazards of induced abortion.     

Is Induced Abortion Really Declining in Armenia?

As in other post‐Soviet settings, induced abortion has been widely used in Armenia. However, recent national survey data point to a substantial drop in abortion rates with no commensurate increase in modern contraceptive prevalence and no change in fertility levels. We use data from in‐depth interviews with women of reproductive age and health providers in rural Armenia to explore possible underreporting of both contraceptive use and abortion. While we find no evidence that women understate their use of modern contraception, the analysis suggests that induced abortion might indeed be underreported. The potential for underreporting is particularly high for sex‐selective abortions, for which there is growing public backlash, and medical abortion, a practice that is typically self‐administered outside any professional supervision. Possible underreporting of induced abortion calls for refinement of both abortion registration and relevant survey instruments. Better measurement of abortion dynamics is necessary for successful promotion of effective modern contraceptive methods and reduction of unsafe abortion practices.     

Users' perspectives on medical abortion in Finland

The objective of this study was to determine the reasons for choosing the medical instead of surgical method for the termination of early pregnancy, and to evaluate the experience and the level of satisfaction with the medical method among women in Helsinki who participated in a multinational efficacy study of medical abortion. The study respondents consisted of 123 women with less than 9 weeks gestation, undergoing medical abortion with mifepristone 200 mg orally followed 36 h to 48 h later by misoprostol 0.8 mg orally or vaginally. By using structured questionnaires, the reasons for choosing the medical method were assessed before the abortion, whereas the experience of medical abortion was evaluated at follow-up visits 2 weeks and 6 weeks later. The three most important reasons for choosing medical abortion instead of surgical abortion were ‘avoidance of surgery,’ ‘avoidance of general anesthesia,’ and ‘the method being more natural.’ At the 6-week evaluation, most women (92%) were satisfied or highly satisfied with the method, and 103 (88%) women said that the method met their expectations. The majority of all women, 105 (89%), would opt for the same method in the future should the need arise, and 102 (88%) patients would recommend the medical method to a friend. The length of pregnancy had an effect on acceptability; the shorter the gestational age, the more acceptable the medical abortion. Medical abortion was perceived as an acceptable method for termination of early pregnancy among the Finnish women studied.     

传统和无痛人工流产术式选择对重复流产的影响

目的:研究无痛人工流产和传统人工流产术式选择对重复流产的影响。方法:选择2009年1～6月在计划生育研究所门诊部要求行人工流产术妇女共324例(无痛人工流产218例、传统人工流产106例)进行跟踪调查一年。调查内容涉及是否有重复流产,重复流产者前次流产后避孕情况及术后恢复性生活时间、两次人工流产间隔、前后两次流产心理状态等。结果:前次行无痛人工流产者重复流产率明显高于传统人工流产组(P<0.05),两组在前次人工流产后避孕情况、术后不足1个月恢复性生活、半年内重复流产及前后两次流产的心理状态上均存在统计学差异。结论:无痛人工流产术虽然解决了术中妇女疼痛问题,但术后存在重复流产率较高的问题,在强调优质流产后计划生育服务时应着重于对无痛人工流产者的术后主动宣教,进行面对面咨询并提供辅助资料、免费药具,以及要求男伴参与,必要时转诊等。     

Induced abortion: trends in the tendency to repeat, Norway, 1972-1981

Through the 1970s the number of women who experienced an induced abortion increased in Norway. Thus, the population at risk for a repeat abortion has increased. The frequency of repeat abortions has doubled from 1972 to 1981. However, the annual frequency of observed repeat abortion has been below what could be expected according to contraceptive failure rates. There is no evidence that the liberalized abortion legislation has led to the use of induced abortion as a method of birth control. In order to improve fertility surveillance and to elucidate the epidemiology of induced abortion, there is a need for more detailed and individually based national registration of induced abortions as well as spontaneous abortions.     

Medical abortion practices: a survey of National Abortion Federation members in the United States

BackgroundLittle is known about clinical implementation of medical abortion in the United States following approval of mifepristone as an abortifacient by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000. We collected information regarding medical abortion practices of National Abortion Federation (NAF) members for the year 2001.MethodsQuestionnaires were mailed to 337 active US NAF member facilities.ResultsA total of 258 facilities responded (77%); 252 nonhospital facilities were included in the analysis. Most of these facilities (87%) offered medical abortion in 2001, providing an estimated 28,400 medical abortions, approximately 52% of medical abortions in the US that year. Over 75% began offering mifepristone/misoprostol abortions within 5 months of the start of mifepristone distribution. Almost all (99%) reported using mifepristone/misoprostol regimens, with most offering one or more evidence-based alternative regimens (83%); a few (4%) used the FDA-approved regimen.ConclusionAfter FDA approval of mifepristone, NAF member facilities rapidly adopted evidence-based mifepristone/misoprostol regimens.     

Abortion, contraceptive use, and adolescent pregnancy among first-year medical students at a major public university in Mexico City.

OBJECTIVE: If properly trained, medical students could become future opinion leaders in health policy and could help the public to understand the consequences of unwanted pregnancies and of abortions. The objective of this study was to analyze the frequency of unwanted pregnancies and induced abortions that had occurred among women who were first-year medical students at a major public university in Mexico City and to compare the experiences of those women with the experiences of the general population of Mexican females aged 15 to 24. METHODS: In 1998 we administered a cross-sectional survey to all the first-year medical students at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, which is the largest university in Latin America. For this study we analyzed 549 surveys completed by female students. RESULTS: Out of the 549 women, 120 of them (22%) had been sexually active at some point. Among those 120 sexually active students, 100 of them (83%) had used a contraceptive method at some time, and 19 of the 120 (16%) had been pregnant. Of those 19 women who had been pregnant, 10 of them had had an illegal induced abortion (in Mexico, abortions are illegal except under a small number of extenuating circumstances). The reported abortion rate among the female medical students, 2%, was very low in comparison with the 11% rate for women of similar ages in the Mexican general population. CONCLUSIONS: The lower incidence of abortion among the female medical students indicates that when young Mexican women have access to medical information and are highly motivated to avoid unintended pregnancy and abortion, they can do so.