[Early medical abortion. An update]

Early medical abortion was introduced in Denmark in 1998. In countries in which this practice has been in use for several years, clinical studies have identified an effective and at the same time gentle regimen. For the time being, this regimen is a combination of the antiprogestogen "mifepristone" and a prostaglandin E1 analogue. Among women with pregnancies up to eight weeks of gestation, 95% will have a complete abortion on a regimen of 600 mg oral mifepristone combined 24 hours later with 1 mg vaginal gemeprost. About five percent will undergo evacuation due to incomplete abortion or heavy bleeding. Although many women experience moderate or severe pain, nausea or vomiting, the tolerability is generally good. Complications wuch as infection or excessive bleeding occur in less than one percent. It is concluded that medical abortion is a good alternative to surgical abortion, and that women who wish an abortion have to be referred to hospital as early as possible in order not to pass the time limit of medical abortion.