ACCEPTABILITY OF MEDICAL ABORTION WITH METHOTREXATE AND MISOPROSTOL

A clinical trial of efficacy of methotrexate and misoprostol for abort ion was performed involving 86 women requesting an abortion at <56 day s gestation. An acceptability evaluation was included in the design of the trial. Subjects were questioned before the study about their reas ons for choosing a medical abortion and past experience with surgical abortion. After the study was completed, the women were questioned abo ut their medical abortion experience. All questions were asked in an o pen-ended manner. Eighty-five of 86 (99%) patients completed both ques tionnaires. The most common reason cited as to why women chose to have a medical abortion was to avoid some aspect of the surgery (48%). For ty-one (48%) women had experienced a surgical abortion; 49% of these w omen chose to have a medical abortion because of a ''bad'' past experi ence related to the surgical procedure. Upon completion of the study, 67 (79%) patients stated the medical abortion was a good experience, 1 2 (14%) a bad experience, and 6 (7%) had a neutral response. When aske d what method they would choose if they were to have another abortion, 89% would choose this method of medical abortion rather than a surgic al abortion. In women who choose to participate in a clinical research trial, methotrexate and vaginal misoprostol are an acceptable and des irable method of abortion.