Abortion drugs are in short supply. Abortion pills - positive and negative aspects of their use. Synthetic derivatives of prostaglandins

Sometimes life situations develop in such a way that there is a need to terminate the pregnancy. Today, several different methods of performing an abortion are known, with medical termination of pregnancy beginning to gain the greatest popularity.

Medical termination of pregnancy

Medical termination of pregnancy is carried out using tablets that contain misoprostol and mifepristone. These drugs are used to terminate pregnancy in the early stages (no more than eight weeks).

The procedure for terminating a medical abortion follows a very simple procedure - first, the woman takes the first pill, which contains mifepristone, and after 24-72 hours she must take the second, containing misoprostol.

Misoprostol provokes the onset of uterine contractions, resulting in. Thanks to the combined effects of misoprostol and mifepristone, it is possible to terminate a pregnancy. The tablets provide the desired effectiveness only if they are used early, and provided that all medication rules are followed.

This procedure must be carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor; in no case should you take the pills yourself, as there is a certain risk to the woman’s health.

Over the past few years, medical abortion has become the most popular among women, as it is one of the safest types of abortion.

It is worth remembering that the pills used to terminate a pregnancy will only be effective for the first 49 days from the date of your last period. Such medications are taken under the supervision of a doctor who monitors the woman’s health condition and, if necessary, takes action. The fact is that this type of abortion also has certain contraindications.

This popularity of medical abortion is easily explained, because this method of terminating an unwanted pregnancy has a number of advantages:

• First of all, the likelihood of infertility after this type of abortion is minimized. In the case of medical termination of pregnancy, there will be absolutely no effect on the uterine mucosa, therefore, there is a minimal risk of developing secondary infertility. This is one of the main advantages due to which girls choose this type of abortion;
• possible complications are minimized. As a rule, any artificial termination of pregnancy carries the risk of developing various complications - for example, injury to the cervix, the onset of inflammatory processes, injury to the uterine mucosa, etc. If a medical abortion is performed, the risk of developing such complications will be extremely small;
• no need for hospitalization. One of the main advantages of this type of abortion is that the woman does not have to be in a hospital. Unlike a surgical abortion, with a medical abortion, recovery occurs much faster, and the woman can do her usual activities and go to work the very next day after the procedure.

How do abortion pills work?

It is the intake of mifepristone that does not allow further production of the hormone progesterone in the required quantity. The fact is that the hormone progesterone is responsible for the proper development of the child. If this hormone is produced in insufficient quantities, the uterine mucosa begins to peel off, as well as the muscles of the uterus begin to relax.

As a result, bleeding occurs. After taking misoprostol, the uterus begins to contract, as a result of which the bleeding will only intensify. After about eight hours, spontaneous abortion will occur.

It is the intake of mifepristone that will provoke the onset of quite severe vaginal bleeding, during which copious blood clots are released. As you know, each person’s body is individual and therefore, after the second tablet is taken, the resulting bleeding will have varying degrees of intensity. In some cases, there is minor blood loss, but there is a possibility of more heavy discharge. However, there are cases when bleeding does not appear until the woman takes the next misoprostol tablet.

Approximately 20 minutes after taking misoprostol, cramping pain in the abdomen may begin. It is possible that painful spasms may increase or decrease throughout the entire duration of exposure to medications.

After a medical abortion, you need to visit your doctor again, who can confirm the miscarriage. It is extremely rare that such tablets do not have the desired effect. Such situations account for approximately 5% of all medical abortions. In this case, the doctor monitoring the abortion may prescribe a vacuum abortion or take other measures.

Technique for medical abortion

For artificial termination of pregnancy, special medications are used, which should only be prescribed by a doctor, after an appropriate examination of the pregnant woman. Since these tablets contain a large amount of hormones, as a result they provoke the death of the embryo, and then cause the onset of increased contractions of the uterus, consequently, rejection and further expulsion of the fetus from the uterine cavity.

The procedure for medical abortion is carried out in exactly three stages:

1. Stage 1 - ongoing full medical examination pregnant. Before a medical abortion is carried out, it is mandatory that the doctor examines the pregnant woman.

   There is a need to conduct an ultrasound (ultrasound examination), thanks to which a more accurate gestational age is established, after which the woman is prescribed a manual gynecological examination.

   Once the doctor is 100% sure that there are absolutely no contraindications for a medical abortion, he will tell you in more detail about the main principles of the action of the medications taken.

   Then the pregnant woman will have to sign the appropriate papers, which confirm that she is thoroughly familiar with the principles of this type of abortion, and also that she gives her consent to the procedure;

2. 2nd stage - abortion. The pregnant woman takes the pills, and then must be under the supervision of a doctor for the next few hours. After about 5 hours, you can return home, provided that there are no complications.

   The process of expulsion of the fertilized egg occurs approximately 3 hours after taking the pill, but may take several days. This process will be accompanied by bleeding;

3. 3rd stage - control inspection. After a couple of weeks, you need to come back for an examination with a doctor. It is mandatory to undergo an additional examination, because the doctor will have to make sure that the fertilized egg has been completely expelled from the uterus.

   If this does not happen (this phenomenon is very rare), in order to prevent the development of possible complications, curettage of the uterine cavity is performed to remove the remaining parts of the fertilized egg.

Termination of pregnancy during the first few hours

In case of unprotected sexual intercourse, if there is a risk of conception, you can take a medication such as Postinor to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

This remedy gives an effective result only if it is taken within the first 24 hours after intimacy. In this case, the effectiveness is about 95%, if the drug is taken after 24-48 hours - about 85%, if after 48-72 hours - about 59%. Therefore, the sooner the medicine is taken, the greater the chance of getting the desired result.

The action of this drug is based on its suppressive effect on ovulation, as well as fertilization. To prevent conception, you need to take two tablets - one should be taken as early as possible, and the second 12 hours later.

Postinor is allowed to be taken only once during the entire menstrual cycle. To minimize the likelihood of complications, you should first consult with an experienced doctor, as this remedy has certain contraindications.

Side effects of abortion pills

This type of abortion is carried out using special medications that have certain contraindications and side effects. Most often, negative consequences arise in the case of a woman’s negligent attitude towards her health - for example, self-administration of medications without the supervision of a doctor.

Women, after terminating a pregnancy by medication, may experience unpleasant sensations such as headache, nausea, dizziness, possible loss of consciousness, and weakness. In almost all cases, these conditions go away on their own over time, and no additional medical intervention is required.

There are cases that women experience an allergic reaction in the form of characteristic redness of the skin. If the discomfort bothers you greatly, you should seek help from a doctor who can prescribe antiallergic medications.

There is a minimal chance that a miscarriage will not occur and the pregnancy will continue to develop. That is why you will need to visit the doctor again, who may suggest using a different method of abortion. Even if the woman changes her mind and decides to keep the child, there is a possibility that the baby will develop various defects and abnormalities.

During a re-examination, the doctor may notice that not all of the fertilized egg has come out and to remove its remains from the uterus, a procedure will be required.

This type of abortion can only be used in the early stages of pregnancy, but it is worth remembering that the longer the period, the greater the risk of developing various complications. If a medical abortion is performed in late pregnancy, the bleeding will be more severe and prolonged.

There are cases that a small fragment of the fertilized egg remains in the uterine cavity, which may not be noticed on ultrasound. This can lead to the development of severe infection, requiring special treatment using broad-spectrum antibiotics, as well as medications that provoke uterine contractions.

Medical termination of pregnancy can cause pronounced bleeding, which requires immediate treatment using special medications that can leave bleeding. If taking such medications does not give the desired effect, then the doctor will clean the uterine cavity under anesthesia. In the most severe cases, open surgery on the uterus, and sometimes its complete removal, is performed.

It is worth remembering that abortion is very serious and it is not recommended to try to carry out this procedure yourself at home. The fact is that, like any other type of abortion, medical abortion is associated with health risks and the woman may need immediate medical attention.

Contraindications for medical abortion

Despite the fact that medical termination of pregnancy has a lot of positive qualities, there are also certain contraindications, which include the following:

• presence of suspicion;
• the presence of diseases that are associated with a violation of the blood clotting process;
• presence in a pregnant woman;
• the presence of acute diseases of the female genital organs, which are inflammatory in nature;
• long-term treatment with corticosteroid drugs;
• the presence of dangerous kidney diseases, primarily this applies to adrenal and renal failure.

If a woman has been diagnosed with at least one of the above diseases, then the use of medical termination of pregnancy can have a serious negative impact on the woman’s health and it is simply impossible to predict the consequences.

Consequences of medical abortion

Before choosing this particular method of getting rid of an unwanted pregnancy, it is worth familiarizing yourself in more detail with the consequences of medical abortion.

As already written above, an abortion is performed on an outpatient basis and the woman will not be under the supervision of a doctor around the clock. Therefore, it is necessary to independently monitor your health with increased attention.

Medical termination of pregnancy may be accompanied by complications such as:

• the appearance of quite strong painful sensations in the lower abdomen;
• about 1% is a further continuation of pregnancy, but the development of the child may occur with deviations;
• serious hormonal imbalance;
• Body temperature may rise, a feeling of weakness and chills may appear (this is extremely rare);
• A feeling of severe nausea and vomiting may occur. In this case, you may need to take the drug again;
• the opening of intense bleeding, which can be caused by incomplete removal of the fertilized egg from the uterus. In this case, additional curettage may be necessary.

After a medical abortion, it is necessary to visit a doctor to make sure that everything is fine and to consult on effective contraceptives, since it is not recommended to resort to this type of abortion too often, otherwise there is a risk of seriously deteriorating your own health.

The news of pregnancy is not always joyful. Sometimes situations arise in life when a woman is forced to refuse to have a child. This is due to psychological unpreparedness to become a mother, social status, and health status. Modern society does not condemn women who decide to terminate their pregnancy. Obstetricians recommend using medical abortion. What does this mean? What are the pros and cons of using this method? Are there any contraindications and what are they?

Indications for pills that terminate early pregnancy

Medical abortion is considered less dangerous than surgical termination of pregnancy. This is due to the high risk of cervical injury during surgery. In most cases, a woman who chooses this method will not be able to become pregnant in the future and bear a healthy child.

During a medical abortion, the pregnant woman is asked to take special medications that cause rejection of the fetus in the uterus. This procedure does not require surgery. It's painless.

The laws of the Russian Federation indicate 3 conditions for termination of pregnancy:

1. woman's desire (gestational age less than 12 weeks);
2. financial or social status;
3. medical indications.

In the case of the latter option, the pregnant woman must sign a document of voluntary consent to an abortion. In 2018, in several regions it was prohibited to terminate a pregnancy within a week at the request of a woman. This was due to the low birth rate and the demonstration of the public position of government authorities against causing miscarriages. Social indicators for the use of drugs that interrupt gestation are:

1. birth and upbringing of 3 or more children;
2. disability of the spouse (1-2 groups);
3. restriction or deprivation of parental rights;
4. absence of a registered marriage;
5. death of a spouse during pregnancy;
6. granting refugee status to a pregnant woman;
7. the presence of the expectant mother or her husband in prison;
8. rape.

Sometimes gynecologists are forced to resort to termination of pregnancy in the early stages if the woman’s health is in poor condition. This may be caused by congenital or chronic diseases caused by a difficult birth.

Medical abortion is indicated for certain types of infections, the presence of cancer, diseases of the blood and genitourinary system, dementia, severe heart defects, chromosomal abnormalities, and so on.

Before the procedure, women must undergo examination:

1. blood test to determine hCG levels;
2. ultrasonography;
3. flora smear;
4. examination and consultation with a gynecologist-obstetrician.

The method of medical termination of pregnancy is not used after the 7th week of gestation. After this period, doctors perform an abortion using surgical intervention. When the operation should be performed, the gynecologist decides based on the results of the examination of the patient.

Contraindications for use

Abortion drugs should be used only in two cases: when the woman knows the exact gestational age and after the examination has been completed. The fact is that pills that cause miscarriage are contraindicated for ectopic pregnancy and a period of 8 weeks or more. Those who have been diagnosed with uterine fibroids, inflammatory processes of the reproductive system, or bronchial asthma should not take the pills. You should not take abortifacient medications if you are hypersensitive to the drug.

Advantages and disadvantages of using drugs to induce miscarriage

The main advantage of using abortifacient pills is the absence of surgical intervention, the painlessness of the procedure, and the minimal risk of secondary infertility. However, along with the advantages, this method has its disadvantages, which are worth paying attention to before using abortifacient drugs:

1. a large list of contraindications;
2. pregnancy period up to 6 weeks;
3. hormonal imbalance;
4. possible complications (remnants of the fertilized egg).

Means for medical abortion

The method of drug termination of gestation is based on the use of drugs from different groups - synthetic derivatives of prostaglandins and progesterone antagonists. They increase the contractility of the uterus and affect the function of the corpus luteum. To determine the effect of the drug, you need to undergo an ultrasound examination. This procedure will determine the outcome of the abortion pill.

Each drug has its own characteristics. What are the names of the drugs that provoke uterine contractions to terminate gestation in the early stages? How much do they cost? Can I buy them without a doctor's prescription? The answers to these questions can be found in the table below.

Synthetic derivatives of prostaglandins

Misoprostol or Mirolut are representatives of this group of drugs that provoke early miscarriage. They are available in tablets; their dosage regimen and dosage must be prescribed by a doctor. How do these drugs affect the body? They cause contractions of the uterus and ensure full and rapid dilatation of the cervix. The result of using the tablets is the expulsion of the fertilized egg. Mirolut and Misoprostol have the same effect on the body as oxytocin used during natural childbirth.

Progesterone antagonists (antiprogestins)

Antiprogestins include drugs in which mifepristone is the active ingredient. They reduce the level of progesterone in the blood and have a destructive effect on the corpus luteum. This causes uterine contractions and bleeding similar to menstrual flow. This is how medical abortion occurs. Names of means for terminating an unwanted pregnancy:

1. Mifeprex;
2. Mytholian;
3. Mifepristone;
4. Mifegin;
5. Pencrofton.

How and when to take the pills?

Pills to terminate early pregnancy should be taken only after consulting a gynecologist. After the examination, he will answer in detail all questions about how to properly induce a miscarriage so as not to harm yourself; how to take abortifacient drugs; which pills to choose for emergency termination of gestation (from 5 weeks to 9). After the lecture, the patient must sign an informed consent form for abortion. After this, the woman will be given the first anti-pregnancy pill. It should be taken under the supervision of a doctor. Two days later, you should take the second dose at home.

The main task of the drug that causes a miscarriage is to help remove the fertilized egg from the uterus, so after 2-3 hours spotting appears. The next day after bleeding stops, you should visit a gynecologist. With the help of an examination, he will determine the effectiveness of the procedure - whether the pills against pregnancy helped.

Adverse reactions and complications

According to the survey, the majority of women who used abortion drugs had no adverse reactions or complications. If the anti-pregnancy drug is used correctly, the risks in the form of complications are minimal. However, in some patients they appear. The most dangerous complication is the remains of the fertilized egg in the uterine cavity. In this case, if the curettage operation is not performed, inflammation will appear, which negatively affects the possibility of conceiving a child. In difficult situations, this can lead to infertility.

Another dangerous complication is severe pain in the lower abdomen. This indicates the presence of an ectopic pregnancy. You should immediately call a doctor, since medical care not provided on time can lead to the death of the patient. After a woman takes pills to terminate gestation, you need to pay attention to the amount of bleeding. If the frequency of changing pads increases and exceeds 1 per hour, you must call an ambulance. The norm is considered to be a discharge lasting 7-10 days, and its volume should gradually decrease.

After inducing a miscarriage, adverse reactions may appear: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, weakness. To alleviate the condition, the woman is allowed to take the necessary medications.

Pills that terminate pregnancy - a lot is said and written about them. And this is understandable, because this is a wonderful alternative to surgical abortion. It remains to find out what these drugs are called, where they can be purchased and at what price, and what contraindications there are to terminating an early pregnancy with pills at home.

Where to get medicine

In order to get rid of an unwanted pregnancy, two drugs are needed - antiprogesterone and, 36-48 hours after taking it, a drug that stimulates uterine contractions. What pills terminate pregnancy in the early stages, their names? There are many commercial names for the drugs, but the main thing is that the first one should contain mifepristone, and the second one should contain misoprostol. Medical studies have proven that this combination helps in 95% or even more cases of causing a complete spontaneous miscarriage.

But these tablets cannot be purchased at the pharmacy. They are issued in clinics where medical abortions are performed on a commercial basis. Essentially, gynecologists examine the patient and determine the exact duration of pregnancy. And if there are no contraindications, they give out medications that are taken in their presence.
But some women use a trick and purchase abortion pills from their hands via the Internet. This is illegal and dangerous. Both from the point of view that you can buy a drug of unknown quality, and perhaps even a pacifier, and from the point of view that perhaps you should not take it at all. Meanwhile, the cost of such drugs purchased secondhand often turns out to be not much more profitable than the price of a medical abortion in a clinic. When the doctor will advise you, the medications will be guaranteed to be good and will work.
The cost of a medical abortion varies greatly among different clinics. It depends both on the drug (it is produced by different countries and pharmaceutical companies, hence the difference in price) and on the number of services provided to the patient. Sometimes they include services that are essentially not very necessary, such as consultation about the types of contraception that can be used after a medical abortion.

It is not true

Again, in order to save money and avoid visiting doctors, women try to use emergency contraceptive pills for spontaneous abortion, or even regular oral contraceptives in high concentrations. Almost always such measures are useless. At most, they can provoke uterine bleeding and partial miscarriage.

Doctors are periodically approached by patients who tried to terminate their pregnancy in this way, but failed. In this case, if an incomplete abortion occurs, women undergo uterine cleaning or vacuum aspiration and are prescribed antibacterial therapy.

If the fertilized egg continues to develop, then the woman can, if she wishes, leave the child. If the embryo continues to grow, the pregnancy will not “freeze”, this means that the drugs did not have a negative effect on it. In the early stages, the “all or nothing” principle applies.

Contraindications to medical abortion

But the question of whether it is possible to terminate a pregnancy with pills and, if so, which ones, is not so important, if this is impossible to do in a particular situation due to the fact that there are contraindications.

1. Gestational age. Medical abortion shows the highest effectiveness up to 42 days from the first day of the last menstruation. Moreover, the earlier the drug is taken, the easier everything goes. Less pain, less heavy bleeding, no nausea, no vomiting. At least, that's what women who have experienced medical abortion say.

2. Ectopic pregnancy. With it, the pregnancy test will also “strip”, the breasts will be tense, toxicosis will appear, etc. For this reason, among other things, you cannot decide to have an abortion without examining a doctor and establishing the fact of intrauterine pregnancy.

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It is fundamentally important to exclude the risk of ectopic pregnancy before taking the pills; otherwise, there is a certain risk to the woman’s life. You should definitely seek advice from a gynecologist, as self-medication can lead to serious negative consequences. Among the advantages of such drugs: no need to go to the hospital; no anesthesia or surgical intervention required; the risk of developing infertility is almost zero; fetal rejection is almost similar to the untimely arrival of menstruation.

Tablet options

Most pills are designed to terminate a pregnancy of up to six weeks (42 days). It should be remembered that during their action, blood clotting worsens, and pain in the lower abdomen is often observed. In connection with taking drugs, cases of inflammatory processes in the genital organs have been noted, and the risk of tumor formation increases.

"Mifegin" (a French-made drug) is characterized by an effectiveness that is as close as possible to 100%. The price starts from 3000 rubles. Can be used for up to six weeks.

Mifeprex is effective and well tolerated. Its price is from 1500 rubles. Application period is up to six weeks.

"Mifepristone 72." The pharmacy usually requires a prescription for this drug. The price range for it is very large - 3-5 thousand rubles. The term for termination of pregnancy is up to six weeks from the moment of conception.

"Mifolian" (active ingredient -) is sometimes used to speed up natural childbirth. The price of the drug is from 1,200 rubles, but it is much easier to find in a antenatal clinic than in pharmacies. Duration – up to six weeks.

"Pencrofton" (active ingredient - mifepristone) is acceptable for use as emergency contraception. Has a low likelihood of complications. Price – from 15,000 rubles. Can be used for up to six weeks.

For emergency contraception immediately after unprotected intercourse, you can use Postinor. Moreover, the first tablet should be taken as soon as possible, and the second - 12 hours after the first. "Postinor" provides an 85% guarantee against unwanted pregnancy. The price of the drug is from 230 rubles, it is contraindicated for teenagers, and before use you should consult a doctor.

General contraindications to taking medications

Any pills of this kind are taken only under the supervision of a doctor, followed by consultations and ultrasound. But there are also absolute contraindications such as: tumors (malignant and benign), diseases of the adrenal glands, inflammation of the genital organs, impaired blood clotting. Smokers are at risk, especially those over 30 years of age, as the drug can cause complications in their cardiovascular system.

The procedure for medical termination of pregnancy is not performed in case of renal failure and severe pulmonary diseases, as well as in case of allergy to mifepristone and suspected ectopic pregnancy. Contraindications are also heart and vascular diseases, liver failure and inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract.