MEDICAL ABORTION DURING THE FIRST TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY: EFFECTIVENESS, ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES. A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

The aim. To review the scientific literature on the effectiveness, advantages and disadvantages of medical abortion compared to surgical abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. Research materials and methods. The search for the articles was conducted on the PubMed database by using the following keywords: “Abortion, Induced” [Mesh], AND “Pregnancy Trimester, First” [Mesh] AND “Abortifacient Agents [Mesh]” OR “Misoprostol” [Mesh] AND “Mifepristone” [Mesh]. In total, 11 articles ten years old or less were analyzed, all of which were in English. Results and conclusions. The efficacy of medical abortion has been proven as, compared to surgical abortion, it is effective at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy. The simultaneous prescription of both active substances, namely, mifepristone and misoprostol, has been confirmed to be more effective than that of only misoprostol. The effectiveness is greater if an interval of 24 to 48 hours is maintained between the consumption of mifepristone and misoprostol. Smaller doses of mifepristone correspond to the reduced duration of vaginal bleeding, cause fewer side effects, and are as effective as the larger doses of this medication. Concurrently, repeated consumption of misoprostol increases success rates of pregnancy abortion. Compared to surgical abortion, medical abortion has many advantages, namely, the reduced risk of infection of pelvic organs, no use of anesthetics, no invasive procedures, and the procedure itself may be carried out independently at home. However, medical abortion may cause severe side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, heavy bleeding, and fever. It requires a longer observation time of the patient after the abortion. Due to its value for money and high accessibility, medical abortion is a competitive alternative to surgical abortion.