If there are problems to get the medicines in one pharmacy, try another pharmacy, or a male friend or partner might have fewer problems obtaining them. Or perhaps you can find a doctor willing to prescribe them. Usually one can expect more luck at the smaller pharmacies that do not belong to a chain.
Sometimes Cytotec can also be bought on the black market (places where you can also buy Marijuana). However try to make sure that is really is Misoprostol and not fake pills or some other medicine! The woman should buy at least 12 pills of 200 mcg Misoprostol. One pill of Cytotec or Arthrotec should contain 200 micrograms of Misoprostol. Look for the dosage of Misoprostol on the package, usually the tablets contain 200 mcg but other dosages do exist. If the pills do not contain 200 micrograms of Misoprostol, recalculate the number of pills so that the same total amount of Misoprostol is used. HOW TO USE MISOPROSTOL In countries where abortion is illegal, Misoprostol alone can be used to cause an abortion. Incorrect use of Misoprostol can be harmful for the health of a woman!! To cause an abortion, a woman must put 4 pills of of 200 micrograms (in total 800 mcg) Misoprostol under the tongue. Do not swallow the pills (at least until 30 minutes after putting the tablets under the tongue!!) After 3 hours she should put another 4 pills of Misoprostol under the tongue. After 3 hours she should put another 4 pills of Misoprostol under the tongue again for a third time. Do not swallow. The success rate is 80%- 90%. After the first dose of Misoprostol a woman should expect bleeding and cramps. Bleeding mostly starts within four hours after using the pills, but sometimes later. Bleeding is often the first sign that the abortion starts. If the abortion continues, bleeding and cramps become more severe. Bleeding is often more and heavier than a normal menstruation, and there can be clots. The longer the pregnancy, the more heavy the cramps and the bleeding will be. If the abortion is complete, the bleeding and the cramps diminish. The moment of abortion can be noticed with a peak of heavier blood loss and more pain and cramps. Depending on the length of the pregnancy, a small pregnancy sac with some tissue around can or cannot be seen. For instance, if the woman is only five to six weeks pregnant, there will be no visible sac. At nine weeks, a woman could probably find a sac in between the blood. If no bleeding occurs after the third dose, the abortion did not take place and the woman has to try it again after a couple of days or travel abroad to a country where it is legal or try again to find a doctor. If a woman would want to relieve the pain, she can use painkillers such as Paracetamol. (Von Hertzen H, ea WHO Research Group; Efficacy of two intervals and two routes of administration of misoprostol for termination of early pregnancy: a randomised controlled equivalence trial, Lancet. 2007 Jun 9;369(9577):1938-46. ) Bleeding after the abortion Bleeding continues lightly one to two weeks after the abortion, but sometimes shorter or longer. The normal menstrual period mostly returns after four to six weeks. Making sure an abortion has occurred Some women bleed without having an abortion. Therefore it is important that the woman makes sure that an abortion really occurred. It can take two to three weeks before a pregnancy test becomes negative. So if possible, have an ultrasound made about one week after the abortion to make sure the womb is empty. (Return) |