Dr. Ila Gupta MD (Obs & Gynae).

Overview

Medication abortion (also referred to as medical abortion) is the termination of pregnancy by using medications to induce a process similar to a miscarriage. It is an alternative to aspiration abortion (also known as aspiration curettage, suction curettage, dilation and curettage, dilation and evacuation, or surgical abortion) [1]. Use of a combination of mifepristone (an antiprogesterone) and misoprostol (a prostaglandin) is the primary method of medication abortion in the United States in pregnancies up to 77 days (11 weeks) of gestation. However, first-trimester medication abortion beyond 70 days may result in lower efficacy or more pronounced symptoms of bleeding or cramping [2-5].