A woman should make sure she is pregnant. She can do a pregnancy test or have an ultrasound
Misoprostol should only be used if a woman is 100% sure that she wants to end the pregnancy. A woman should try to have an ultrasound before taking Misoprostol. An ultrasound shows whether the pregnancy is in the womb and for how many weeks a woman is pregnant. Misoprostol should not be used after 9 or more weeks of pregnancy. A pregnancy of nine weeks means 63 days (9 weeks) after the first day of the last menstrual period. If a woman thinks she has been pregnant for more than nine weeks, or if the ultrasound shows this, we do not advise to take Misoprostol unless the woman has medical supervision. The medicine still works, but the risk of heavy bleeding, serious pain and complications increase the longer the pregnancy lasts. A woman should never attempt to do the abortion alone. While having the abortion, it is important to have someone close by; this can be the partner, a friend or a relative who knows about the abortion and who can help in case of complications. Once the bleeding starts, someone should stay in contact with the woman to be able to help in case complications occur. Misoprostol can only be used without medical guidance when a woman has no serious illness. Most illnesses are no problem. Some serious illnesses, such as, for instance, severe anaemia, can create problems because of the heavy blood loss involved. Serious illnesses are sometimes a reason for a legal abortion, even in countries with restrictive laws. Do not use alcohol or drugs during the treatment!!! Misoprostol should not be used when there is a possibility of an ectopic (or extra-uterine) pregnancy. An ectopic (or extra-uterine pregnancy) is not in the womb (uterus). An ectopic pregnancy can be detected by having an ultrasound. Treatment by a gynaecologist is then necessary to ensure the health of the woman. If not treated, there is a risk of heavy internal bleeding due to rupturing of the fallopian tube. Gynaecologists treat women for this condition in all countries, even in countries where abortion is illegal. An ectopic pregnancy cannot be treated with Misoprostol. Misoprostol should never be used if the woman has an intra uterine device (IUD). An IUD is a contraceptive, a small coil of about 3 cm inserted by a doctor in the womb to prevent pregnancy. A Woman who has an IUD and is pregnant must have an ultrasound made because the risk of an ectopic pregnancy is higher. If the pregnancy is in the uterus, it is necessary to have the IUD removed before using doing the abortion. Misoprostol should only be used when transportation within a few hours to a hospital is possible. That way, if complications occur, medical aid will be near. Misoprostol should never be used if the woman is allergic to Misoprostol or any other prostaglandin. This is a rare condition, which a woman will be aware of if she has used these medicines and had such a reaction before. If she has never used the medicine before, she cannot have experienced an allergic reaction. There is a possibility that the attempt to cause an abortion with Misoprostol will fail. The chance that using Misoprostol will cause an abortion is only 90%. The treatment failed when the medicines did not cause any bleeding at all or there was bleeding but the pregnancy still continued. The woman can try to use the medicines again after a few days, but this can fail again. If more than 14 days after the use of Misoprostol no abortion has occurred, and if no doctor is willing to help, there remains no other option than to travel to another country to have a legal abortion or to keep the pregnancy. There is a small increased risk of birth defects such as deformities of the hands or feet and problems with the nerves of the foetus, if the pregnancy continues after attempting abortion with these medicines. Some doctors might consider this as a reason for a legal abortion, so try to find one. A possible sexual transmitted infection should be treated. If there is a risk of a sexual transmitted infection (STI, also known as a sexually transmitted disease, STD) such as Chlamydia or Gonorrhoea, arrange an examination with a doctor so that the infection can be treated properly. The risk of such an infection is increased after rape (in a lot of countries a reason for a legal abortion, should pregnancy occur), or when one has had sex with an unknown person. Having an untreated sexual transmitted infection increases the risk of an inflammation of the womb and fallopian tubes. Such an inflammation is called a pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or salpingitis or adnexitis. (Return) |