Mifepristone-misoprostol abortion: a trial in rural and urban Maharashtra, India

As several important policy questions remain regarding the use of medical abortion in developing countries, we investigated the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of mifepristone-misoprostol abortion in the outpatient family planning departments of two urban hospitals and one rural hospital in India, Nine-hundred women (with gestations of less than or equal to63 days in the urban sites and less than or equal to56 days in the rural site) received 600 mg mifepristone followed 48 h later by 400 mug oral misoprostol in the clinic. Four point four percent or fewer urban women and 1.0% rural women were lost to follow-up. Perfect and typical-use failure rates were low at all sites. While rural women reported fewer side effects at all sites, the vast majority of women were satisfied with their medical abortions. Medical abortion can be offered safely, effectively, and acceptably in the outpatient family planning departments of urban and rural hospitals in India. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.