Feasibility of Home Administration
Over two-thirds of successful abortions took place during the four hours women were asked to wait in the clinic, while 22 percent occurred at home and the rest elsewhere. Few women who had successful abortions at home or at the clinic were troubled by the time or place of expulsion, but some women reported difficulties when expulsions occurred elsewhere. Some women also found it difficult to manage the three visits required by the trial regimen, citing work commitments, transportation, school obligations, and child care needs.
Study data also suggest that the option of a less medically supervised regimen may be desirable: Both women and providers endorsed the feasibility of home administration of both mifepristone and misoprostol. Nearly all providers thought that most women could safely have used the method at home. Women felt similarly, although they were less comfortable with the prospect of taking misoprostol at home than mifepristone.(Preliminary results from an ongoing multisite study allowing home administration of misoprostol, however, indicate that most women find this option highly acceptable.)
"If misoprostol is used at home, specific counseling about what to expect in the
hours after self-administration and the availability of a 24-hour telephone
support line may help allay women's concerns," Dr. Winikoff said. Those women
who would prefer to have their medical abortions in the clinic ideally should
have
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Contact: Christina Horzepa
chorzepa@popcouncil.org
212-339-0520
Population Council
15-Jul-1998