Menstrual extraction in the adolescent.

Menstrual extraction or suction aspiration of the uterus with a flexible cannula within 2 weeks of a missed menstrual period is infrequently used in the adolescent. Eighty-two adolescents (39 private and 43 clinic patients) underwent 90 menstrual extractions at the Medical University of South Carolina from January 1977 through March 1979. The clinic population consisted of a higher percentage of blacks and more individuals who had previously been pregnant and carried pregnancies to term. Major complications occurred in only two patients. One pregnancy continued to term. This could have been prevented if vigorous attempts had been made to encourage all patients to return for follow-up exam. The patients' shift to the use of pills and IUDs after the procedure suggests that menstrual extraction may serve as an introduction to effective birth control methods. Results of menstrual extraction in the adolescent compare favorably with those reported in adults.