Medical termination of pregnancy is a relatively new method of abortion, which began to be used in Russia about 5 years ago. Attempts have long been made to find a non-invasive method for resolving the issue of unwanted pregnancy, and it was found in this form.
What is medical abortion based on?
The method is based on taking drugs in the form of tablets that disrupt the nutrition of the fetus and then cause it to be rejected. Abortion takes place in several stages, which will be discussed below.
As the active substance of the abortion drug in the first stage, mifepristone is used, which is taken in a dosage of 600 mg. You can also meet him in the form of funds "Mifegin", "Pencrofton."
When medical abortion is performed , second-stage drugs must be taken within one and a half to two days after the first means. They can be in tablet form or used as a vaginal suppository. This is a drug from the group of prostaglandins (usually the drug "Misoprostol"), which starts a process resembling a miscarriage. So, the term of medical termination of pregnancy does not exceed 3-4 days, plus an additional several weeks may take a recovery period.
Despite the fact that Mifepriston has been used recently in Russia, it has been known abroad since 1988, and drugs of the second group - even earlier, from the mid-20th century. Only these medicines have proven effective in numerous trials and in the process of application.
The mechanism of action of drugs for abortion
As you know, after pregnancy in a woman’s body, the hormonal background changes: the concentration of the hormone aimed at preserving the fetus increases. Such a hormone in the first trimester of pregnancy is progesterone. It helps to increase the volume of tissue in the uterine mucosa so that the fetus can receive all the nutrients from the mother before the formation of the placenta.
The drug "Mifegin" ("Mifepristone") causes a slowdown in the growth of the endometrium, which violates the nutrition of the fetus. A decrease in the concentration of progesterone can increase the role of oxytocin, which causes uterine contractions. At the second stage, prostaglandins contribute to this process, and then the fetus is rejected.
Pharmaceutical Abortion Conditions
There are several prerequisites for such an abortion. First of all, the timing of drug termination of pregnancy is important . This is possible within 49 days from the last menstruation. Some sources indicate a period of 63 days, it depends on the clinic in which the procedure takes place.
When diagnosing an unwanted early pregnancy, termination in the most gentle way with the help of medications is best done for up to 4 weeks, since the fetus is still not sufficiently tightly implanted in the uterine cavity. This means that bleeding after rejection of the fetus in this case will be minimal.
Where can I have a farmabort?
Despite the fact that during the process of getting rid of pregnancy there is no surgical intervention, this procedure is associated with certain risks. Therefore, to buy the drug in a pharmacy and apply it at home will not work.
Where is medical abortion performed? To date, only in a medical institution. Clinical abortions are carried out under the close supervision of staff in order to be able to detect complications at an early stage. The observation takes place within a few hours after the procedure, then the patient is contacted after a few days, and after 2 weeks a control ultrasound is performed to exclude the continuation of pregnancy.
In order to carry out artificial termination of pregnancy medically, the clinic must have a certificate with permission to use mifepristone. Only this substance is used to carry out the pharmaceutical procedure, which must be clarified when searching for a suitable consultation.
Procedure cost
Medical abortion, the price of which is largely due to the cost of the drug, does not belong to the category of budgetary procedures. Since two tablets are sufficient to achieve the result, the simplicity of the method allows you to set the appropriate price (from 7 thousand rubles and above).
The cost of the drug is added to the cost of hospital stay, as well as the use of materials and the cost of working time of health workers.
The final factor is also affected by the psychological factor, because the absence of interference gives internal comfort, for which many are willing to pay extra.
At the same time, medical abortion, the price of which is higher than for vacuum aspiration or curettage of the uterine cavity, is an affordable procedure for the general population.
Possible complications after medical abortion
Though terms of medical termination of pregnancy and can avoid many unpleasant consequences, there are certain risks associated with the procedure.
The effectiveness of the method is 95%, that is, it remains likely that in 5% the pregnancy will continue.
Medical abortion, in which detachment of the fetus from the uterine wall occurs, causes bleeding (usually not too profuse), but there is a risk of massive blood loss. Discharge can be prolonged, accompanied by pain in the uterus, intoxication (fever, chills, nausea).
If you follow the technique of phased administration of tablets, the probability of achieving the desired effect increases, however, none of the existing methods gives 100% of the result.
Contraindications
Pharmaceutical abortion is not possible if there is an allergic reaction to the components of the drug, with poor blood coagulation, the presence of diseases of the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Even in the presence of early pregnancy, interruption with the help of tablets is not possible if previously performed operations on the uterus. Scars with a high probability can disrupt the process of rejection of the fetus, that is, subsequent curettage of the cavity may be required.
In the presence of asthma and renal failure, the doctor may also prohibit the termination of pregnancy by this method.
Since the drugs are hormonal in nature, protection with hormonal contraceptives can significantly reduce the effectiveness of such drugs, so this factor is a contraindication for abortion with mifepristone and its derivatives.
Medical abortion is also not performed in case of an ectopic pregnancy, therefore, the procedure is preceded by an examination.
Pre-abortion screening
The dosage of the drug for abortion is designed for a healthy body of a woman of a normosthenic type of figure, therefore, before the procedure, the patient takes blood tests, a smear on the flora, undergoes an ultrasound examination. This allows you to determine the level of general health, establish the exact gestational age, and identify possible contraindications for abortion.
It is not necessary to choose a separate day for the examination; all services can be completed in one day. The examination also includes familiarization with the instructions for the drug, the signing of documents of consent to the procedure.
A woman is warned that pregnancy can be maintained, and if after 2 weeks the fetus is preserved, other methods will be necessary. Next in terms of danger are vacuum aspiration (up to 6 weeks of conception) and curettage (up to 12 weeks). The terms of medical termination of pregnancy and vacuum aspiration practically coincide, however, the risk to a woman’s health in the second case is much higher.
After a medical abortion, it is necessary to avoid physical exertion, baths and trips to the bath and sauna, refuse sexual intercourse for 2 weeks after the procedure, and also not to use douching.