Home administration of misoprostol for early medical abortion in India.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy and acceptability of home administration of misoprostol for early medical abortion in Indian family planning clinics.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, consenting pregnant women (n=599) with amenorrhea of 8 weeks or less seeking termination of pregnancy received 200mg of oral mifepristone followed 48 hours later with 400microg of oral misoprostol, administered either at home or at the clinic.

RESULTS

Almost all women (88.4%) chose to take misoprostol home. There was no statistical difference in success rates between home and clinic users (89.0% vs 92.4%, Pearson chi(2)=0.7; P=0.395). Most women in both the home (90.7%) and clinic (92.3%) groups were satisfied or very satisfied with the procedure.

CONCLUSION

Home administration of misoprostol is safe and feasible for introduction into medical abortion services in India.