Medical Abortion:

A medical abortion is a type of non-surgical abortion in which a drug is used to induce the abortion. According to the World Health Organization, there is little, if any, difference between medical and surgical abortion in terms of safety and efficacy. Both methods are similar from a medical standpoint and there are only very few situations where a recommendation for one or the other method for medical reasons can be given.

Medical Abortion, as defined by the Feminist Women's Health Center, "is a form of early abortion caused by the combination of two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol that is an option for women who are 8 weeks pregnant or less. Also known as RU486 or medication abortion."

The medical community as a whole recommends that any method of medical abortion should have an overall efficacy comparable to that of vacuum aspiration, i.e. a rate of complete abortion of more than 95% and an ongoing pregnancy rate of less than 1%. Other desirable characteristics of a method of medical abortion for the early first trimester are the following:

• It should be effective up to 63 days of gestation;
• It should be easy to administer;
• It should be safe, and have acceptable side-effects;
• Blood loss should be similar to, or less than, that associated with vacuum aspiration;
• It should be affordable;
• It should be widely available.

The only currently acceptable regimen that meets the efficacy criteria of the medical community at this time is a combination of mifepristone and a prostaglandin — either misoprostol or gemeprost. Use of mifepristone or a prostaglandin alone does not meet them. Use of methotrexate in combination with prostaglandin can approach the required efficacy, but is not recommended because it is teratogenic. The recommendations on medical abortion are restricted to early first trimester (up to 63 days since the first day of the last menstrual period — LMP). Although administration of mifepristone followed by a prostaglandin will terminate pregnancy at any stage (and in some countries is licensed for abortion up to 24 weeks), termination of pregnancy when gestational age is more than 63 days is less common, requires an inpatient setting,and raises separate medical, legal, and service issues.