A prospective, comparative study of clinical outcomes following clinic-based versus self-use of medical abortion using mifepristone with misoprostol

Background

Medabon, a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol, is used for medical abortion (MA) in Cambodia. It is commonly used in public and private clinics and is available at many pharmacies. Though MA is used for self-management of abortion in some settings, no studies to date have compared clinical outcomes between those who obtain MA from pharmacies and clinics.

Objective

This prospective, observational cohort study sought to determine whether important clinical outcomes differ among women who access a combined medical abortion regimen from a pharmacy compared to those who access it from a clinic. It was conducted by the University of Health Sciences, the Cambodia National Maternal and Child Health Center, and Ipas.

Methodology

Women were recruited from clinics and nearby pharmacies in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Preah Sihanouk provinces at the time they were purchasing/ obtaining the MA drug. Those who consented to be part of the study were contacted by phone and asked about their experiences and clinical outcomes on days 14 and 30 after taking the mifepristone. In addition, seven women aged 16-19 years old (three from clinics and four from pharmacies) were interviewed to understand the MA experiences of adolescents.

For more information on this study, email Dr. Nathalie Kapp: [email protected]