Home Abortion With Pills Deemed Safe Up To 12 Weeks: Lancet Research

The Lancet journal on Friday claimed that an abortion can be managed at home using pills that could ease the hospital burden. The study noted that the consuming pill is safe till 12 weeks of pregnancy. In a Swedish research trial, 435 women took the first dose of misoprostol (medical abortion pill) at home.

The women who consumed the pills at home had a 71 per cent chance of completing the process without an overnight stay at the hospital. The abortion was observed and marked as complete within 9 hours of the medicine intake. As per the study, women face too much stress and isolation being at the hospital for abortion compared to those at home.

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For a medical abortion, doctors prescribe two types of pills Misoprostol to make the womb contract or Mifepristone to prevent the progesterone hormone which helps to break down the uterus lining. The medicine has to be consumed frequently to complete the abortion process. This is how it usually happens.

Johanna Rydelius, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, stated that allowing women to take the initial dose of misoprostol in the comfort of their own homes offers a safe and effective option, enabling them to take control of part of the process and reducing the need for hospital visits. This period is considered to be tough and women will feel extremely vulnerable during this time, she said. In the study, 1% of women who self-administered misoprostol at home completed the abortion process before returning to the hospital for their next scheduled dose.

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The study also revealed that the home treatment group didn’t experience any significant differences in pain levels, side effects, or unplanned hospital admissions compared to the hospital-based group. However, it’s the study observed that 1% of patients in the home treatment group experienced a swift abortion which occurred just 1-2 hours after taking the first dose of misoprostol.