MISOPROSTOL - THE EXPERIENCE OF WOMEN IN FORTALEZA, BRAZIL

Misoprostol is used by women in Brazil in case of unwanted pregnancy t o attempt abortion. This paper reports the characteristics, pattern of misoprostol use and opinions of a group of 102 women (median age 25 y ears, range 26-49 years), from Fortaleza, capital of ceara state, who had used misoprostol to attempt abortion. Seventy-five percent were wo men of lower social class, 58% had less than 8 years of education and 46% were never married. Misoprostol was used for the first induced abo rtion by 65 women. Modal dose was 4 tablets-200 mu g of misoprostol ea ch-most frequently 2 tablets by oral route and 2 tablets by intravagin al route. This pattern of use was associated with the highest rate of abortion, mainly at 9-12 weeks of amenorrhea. Fifty-five percent of wo men had no pregnancy test; 41% had 8 weeks or less of amenorrhea. Cure ttage was performed in 49 of 84 women who reported abortion and in 41 of 43 women who entered the hospital. Infection and uterine perforatio n were the complications described. Seventy-two percent of women were infavor of legalization of abortion, but 52% were also in favor of the prohibition of misoprostol sales; 66% would not repeat misoprostol us e and 53% would not suggest it to a friend. The poorest women were les s favorable to misoprostol ban. Despite the current lack of safer alte rnatives, misoprostol does not seem a satisfactory solution to illegal abortion in Brazil.