According to statistics, most abortions are carried out in the first trimester of pregnancy. But medical abortion stays the most popular method for termination of pregnancy. For over 30 years now, women have been using vaginal suppositories containing prostaglandin Dinoprostone (trade names: Prostin E2, Cervidil).
Despite the fact that one needs no special preparation to use oral abortion pills, medical abortion must be carried out under supervision of health care provider only. Herewith woman, choosing non-surgical method for termination of pregnancy must be aware that she will have uterine spasms and vaginal bleeding after using abortion pills.
These side effects are straight consequence of pharmacological activity of oral pills with abortifacient effect, thus one cannot prevent them. Often abortion pills side effects are: abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. But these side effects occur on the second or third day after the use of abortifacient pills and disappear without special treatment, regardless of their intensity.
In overwhelming majority of women, abortion pills side effects disappear in 72 hours after oral intake. Only few women may have bloody discharge and uterine bleeding during the next 7-10 days. In 14 days after non-surgical abortion procedure, woman should consult a health worker and make sure she is not pregnant.
* What legal abortion pills are approved by national health care system to interrupt pregnancy?
For non-surgical pregnancy termination, women can be only prescribed with two types of abortion pills: antiprogestational steroids, analogues to prostaglandin.
* Mifepristone is the only FDA (USA), TGA (Australia), Medsafe (NZ), AFSSAPS (France) approved antiprogestational steroid. On the international pharmaceutical market, abortion pills, containing Mifepristone are available under the following trade names: Mifegyne; Mt Pill; Mifegest; RU 486; Mifeprex; Mifepristone Exelgyn and Mifepristone Linepharma.
* There are dozens of different prostaglandin analogs, yet abortion-causing drug Mifepristol is mostly prescribed in addition to steroid abortion pills. This abortion drug is produced by dozens of pharmaceutical companies all over the world and sold under the trade names, as follows: Cytotec; PMS-Misoprostol; GyMiso; Novo-Misoprostol; Misoprost; Gymiso; Glefos; Misotrol and Cyprostol.
Advantages of abortion pills
* Abortion pills are effective and safe because there is minimum number of contraindications.
* Termination of pregnancy procedure by means of abortion pills is almost painless, therefore women need no anesthesia.
* Abortion pills do not affect the myometrium, endometrium, cervical canal and uterine vessels in women.
* Use of abortion pills does not provoke infections in the urogenital system.
* There is no irreversible destruction of a female reproductive function and women have no severe emotional discomfort after the use of abortion pills, unlike surgical abortion.
* Approved abortion pills help women to interrupt pregnancy at early stages, if no alternative abortion means are available.
Common disadvantage of abortion pills is their high cost. For instance, in Switzerland the retail cost of abortion pills, containing Mifepristone (Mifegyne 200mg pills) is over $150. Although it’s fair to say that the cost of surgical abortion together with pre-surgical preparation and post-surgical care, is several times higher.